The Actions of a Crying Heart
by slipofthetongue
Summary: Kakasaku. Upon leaving three years ago, she thought that everything was behind her. But with a new mission, will old feelings come back?
1. New friends and new surprises

Okay new story! Once again it's going to be a Kakasaku fic, due to the fact I'm going for the record of most Kakasaku fics ever made by a single person! Just a small warning thought, this fic will not be mushy mushy. Sorry to all you guys who like that stuff. But good news to EMO people around the world! Cause this fics for ya'll! Anyway, enjoy!

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The street, once completely silent and empty when the moon was up, was now completely packed with busy people working their small shops around town and in the shopping district of the Grass village just west of Konoha. The quietness of the passed night had been outmatched by the hussel and madness of a regular business day, which only added to Hatake Kakashi major headache that throbbed inside of his left temple. The lateness of a night at the bar and the hangover as a result made the crowed around him seem like a kunai drilling into his head.

Wanting to get out of this place and to get back to konoha a.s.a.p made his usually lazily and rather sluggish attitude morph into a walking pace that was totally out of his character.

'My damn eye is acting up again.' He thought as his palm rested over the sharigen to shield it from the painfully bright light of the sun above. This discomfort had begun to become a regular thing now-a-days, it seemed. He would be grateful to get a moments peace from his mission but when he finally did the stinging in his eye didn't really make it a moment of peace.

Apologizing to someone who had bumped into his arm when he walked by, he paused his hike through the crowd to rest his back up against a nearby wall which was finally out of the many people. Glad to be alone, even if it was just for a moment, his visible eye shut in relaxation. He hated crowds. Always had, ever since he was little. He was contempt of being a man of solitude. A loner if you will. But he would occasionally go out for a drink with fellow jounins or with Naruto and Sasuke if their busy sceduales didn't require them to be out on a mission or something.

'I just need to get this mission over with and I can go home,'He thought.' I can't wait to get home.'He missed his own bed, even if he did think that his bed was crappy and he was in need of a new one, it was still better then a strange motel bed. It has been almost two weeks since his mission begun, requiring him to travel all the way to Grass country for an easy progress report for Tsunde-sama. Grass and Leaf have been allies for many many years, mainly due to the fact that Leaf needed the natural resource of wheat which was in heavy supply here, and that Grass wasn't a country of ninja so they are in need of protection from their neighbors. It was a good partnership, one that both countries are intending to keep.

Kakashi's viable eye partly opened when a nice breeze swept across the street and gave the copy ninja a much needed cooling time after a day of just walking around town and checking things out as his mission entailed him to do. His sliver hair blew back off his face in the wind, seeming to have life as the breeze twisted his unusual hair his it's grasp before ending the dance and letting the hair fall back into place. Kakashi sighed deeply as he decided to get moving again, stuffing both hands deep into his pockets he pushed himself off of the wall.

"Hey!" Came a shout over the loud noise of the busy street. Kakashi just ignored the call.' Probably a child game.' He thought, retracting his hand from his pocket he pulled out a copy of Icha icha paradise, and calmly flipped threw the pages to where he left off, and weaved his way effortlessly back into the crowed, all the while keeping his eyes trained down on the interesting book.

"Hey, you!" Another call, yet again going ignored by the ninja who just kept reading.

"Somebody stop him, he has my purse!" A women cried above the noise, Kakashi's ears finally perked up, but still he refused to look up from the woods written into his book.

"Somebody please!"

Kakashi sighed, as he calmly stopped and looked up from his reading material reluctantly. His eye fell over an old lady about five meters away, she was looking up at the roof. He also saw a couple people have stopped their movements to offer their aid in someway but even though many people have heard her cry she was still crying. Focusing his well trained ears in front of him to the murmurs of the small crowed he was able to listen in to what they were whispering about.

"Where did he go?"

"He climbed the roof and ran off that way."

"How are we going to get up there?"

"Just forget it, it's just a purse anyway."

Kakashi sighed again.. He really wasn't planning on anything happening today, just once he wanting a rather lazily day where all he would do was have a nice stroll along the town on such a beautiful day. But duty calls as they say.

The ninja disappeared swiftly without having any of the Grass residents around him even seeing him.

* * *

Breathing heavily and the loss of breath, the young boy fell to his knees on the roof of a building which he thought would be a safe distance from any of the people who were most defiantly looking for him. His iron grip on the small brown handbag loosened a little as he knew that he was finally home free. Smirking at his achievements he fell backwards on his ass with a sigh. He fixed his hat as a few stray hairs had fallen from beneath the hat in the getaway.

"Safe."He whispered to himself.

"There you are."The boys once calmly shut eyes shot open in surprise and fear. His head hesitantly and slowly lifted up above. He gasped as Hazel eyes met a Black one which stared down at him. The boy immediately scrambled away to a safe distance from Kakashi who remained ina comfortable silence all throughout the freak-out fest put on by the totally confused and shocked boy.

"Who the fuck are you! How did you get up here!" He screamed and pointed an accusing finger at the silver haired Jounin who stood a few feet in front of him,seeming to have remained in the safe spot of which he had appeared. Kakashi just calmly lifted him hand to point casual at the Leaf headband he wore on his head and over his left eye. The boy hung his head as he let him finger drop to his waist.

"Oh great, a ninja." He mumbled.

"Now, I've heard that there's someone who has stolen a rather old lady's purse, and that people say he came this way," Kakashi replied."Now my question to you is, do you know where I could find this thief?" The boy snarled, but nervous beads of sweat have already begun to form on his forehead." Because I haven't had any interesting thing happen to me in this country yet, and I've been looking forward to testing out my brand new jutsu on someone and I'm thinking a thief would have to due."Kakashi scratched his chin in thought as he let out a fake sigh disappointment. The boy before him swallowed nervously and took a step backwards in retreat.

"I-I don't know w-what you're talking ab-bout, man."He stuttered as he turned on his heels in an attempt to flee, but gasped as he almost ran straight into Kakashi's chest if he didn't fall backwards to land on the roof once again, letting the purse that was clenched in his hand fall to the floor."Hey, man I don't want any trouble..."

"Why did you steal the purse?" Kakashi inquired as he crutched down in front of the terrified boy."Are you poor?"The man swallowed the lump in his throat, and he slowly nodded.

"Hai." He whispered. Kakashi sighed and rose to his full height. The boy watched him in fear but raised his eyebrow in confusion as the silver haired bent down and picked up the purse the was resting on the ground beside the boy. Kakashi then stuffed his hands into his pockets and began to walk away. The boy shifted to sit on his knees to watch the ninja walk away, slightly confused. 'Didn't he say that he was going to test a new Jutsu or something on me?' He thought.

"What are you waiting for?"The man blinked, as Kakashi stopped to glance over his shoulder at him.

"Huh?"He replied stupidly.

"Well, aren't you coming? Better hurry up or I really will turn you into a toad." Kakashi joked. The boy's eyes showed completely fear.'Can he really do that?'He thought but choice that he didn't want to find out and scrambled to his feet and quickly followed the strange man.

Once they came to a roof where Kakashi had first saw the old lady he paused and looked down. Seeing that the small crowd was gone but the old lady still stood there looking up at the roof in sadness.

The boy came up beside him to take a look down to see what the man was looking at.

"Hey yo, I'm not going back there." The boy replied as he waved his hands out in front of him.

"Yes you are." Kakashi ordered simply. The boy swallowed.

"But I can't get down, I'm no fucking ninja like you are, freak. I don't go jumping off buildings and shit like you."He replied.

"You're not going to jump."Kakashi replied.The boy raised his eyebrow.

"I'm not?"

"Nope, you're going to fly." Kakashi smiled.The boy nodded in seemed understanding, but suddenly figured out what he meant it was too late and Kakashi had already pushed him from the roof into a free fall through the air. The boy let out a girlish scream as his limbs flared frantically around him. He looked like a drunken bird that suddenly forgotten how to fly, madly flapping their wings to remember but failing to be able to fly as they used to, until he finally landed into a pile of garbage into he alleyway below. The boy remained there for a moment his feet above his head twisted in a way that they almost touched the floor by his head. His face a scrunched into a painful one and his eyes widened into swirls anime-style.

Kakashi swiftly landed beside the garbage bags with ease and calmly rose to his feet ina second. He glanced over at the boy who was mangled in such an amusing way that Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle.

"See, you made it out alive didn't you?"His eye curved up in a smile.

"You're a fucking psychopath."He mumbled, his face deep into garbage.

* * *

Kakashi nudged the boys arm with his elbow when silence fell over the three.

"Oh, I... I'm sorry."The boy mumbled, focusing his gaze down at the floor, stuffing his hand into his pocket as he thrusted the brown purse into the old lady's face. She smiled.

"All is forgiven, young man. You gave me quite a scare when I thought that you had really stolen the purse my grand daughter gave to me on my birthday. But you two were only practicing for a play in your school." She smiled. Kakashi's one eye curved up into a smile.

"Sorry about the inconvience ma'am. Little Timmy and I didn't mean for it to go this far. But this one here, he just loves to act, so much that he does tend to go over a bit. Isn't that right?" He turned to the utterly confused young boy beside him, who had sometime during Kakashi lie looked from the the ground up into the very tall man beside him. Kakashi just kept smiling, awaiting an answer. The boy's eyes narrowed as he looked away.

"No."He replied. Kakashi raised his eyebrow in confusion, as did the old women."That's not it. He's just trying to cover me. I really did try to steal your purse. But I'm sorry for it."He replied. Kakashi smiled slightly underneath his mask and his visible eye once again curved up in a smile as he hung his head .'Good Kid.' He thought.

"It's alright young man." The boy looked up in surprise upon hearing the woman's response.

"R-really? You forgive me?" He asked. The old women nodded."Thank you." He whispered with a smile." Well I gotta go... See ya!" With one last glance at Kakashi, the boy ran off down the street. Kakashi said his goodbyes and disappeared also.

* * *

"That was surprisingly honest of you." Kakashi laughed. The Boy looked up startled to find that Kakashi had appeared suddenly before him without the boy even hearing him. He sighed and looked back down at the table he sat at. 'How could I hear him?' The boy thought.' He's a ninja.'

"Why did you lie for me?" He asked quietly."You don't even know me, why would you-"

"Because I knew that you'd tell her the truth if I tried to lie for you." Kakashi interrupted and calmly slide into the chair across the table.

"How?" He whispered. Kakashi merely shrugged going unnoticed by the boys gaze which was still focused on the table.

"A hunch of mine." Kakashi replied."So what is your name? Hope to God it's not Timmy."

"Trowa, actually. My name is Trowa." The boy answered."What's your name? Better not be Professor Brown." Trowa smirked to himself.

"Kakashi, but my students call me Kakashi-sensei."He replied, Trowa glanced up off the table to met Kakashi's one black orb that stared lazily back at him.

"Huh, so you really are a teacher?" Trowa raised his eyebrows.

"Hai." Kakashi replied.

"So where are your student's? Isn't it a school day?" Trowa replied sarcastically and leaned back in his chair.

"My students are jounin already. Elite Ninja from my country, and are in very little need of my training any further. Also ninja do not follow the regular schedules of other students. Like for instance, my two students are currently on a mission in mist country just north of here."

"I know where Mist country is."He sighed."Just because I'm poor doesn't mean I'm stupid."He mumbled. Kakashi remained silent for a moment. This boy...

"You want some ramen?" Kakashi asked out of the blue as if he didn't even hear the last statement. Trowa raised an eyebrow in surprised.

"Ramen?" Trowa asked.

"Yea, My treat." He smiled. Trowa swallowed. 'What the hell is with this guy?' He thought.'First he doesn't turn me into a toad then he lies for me, now he wants to buy me ramen? Something's fishy.'

"Fine, that'd be cool."He replied with a shrug.

* * *

Trowa happily slipped up the ramen noodles that was placed before him. The expression of pure joy on his face could've easily matched that of Naruto whenever he ate noodles back in Konoha. Kakashi silently observed his new found acquaintance over his yet to be touched bowl of his own ramen. ' This boy, remains me of Naruto. A much quieter Naruto but they're eating habits match almost perfectly.' Kakashi sighed.

"So, Kakashi was it?" The silver haired Jounin blinked and met the brown eyes staring back at him." So what are you doing in grass country anyway?" He mumbled through a mouth full of half chewed noodles. Kakashi sweet dropped. 'Perfectly like Naruto.' He sighed.

"Classified information is not to be disclosed to civilians. Especially not to little people."Kakashi answered.

"I'm not a little people! I mean person! I'm fifteen you know!" He cried.

"Really? You look like your ten."Kakashi joked. A vain popped on Trowa's forehead.

"What about you huh! You must be in your forties to be that strong!"

"Not that it's polite manners to ask such questions on the diner table but,"Kakashi began.

"Diner table my ass, it's a booth on the street."Trowa mumbled to himself.

"...I'm only twenty five."Trowa's eyes went wide as he instantly began to choke on his noodles.

"T-Twenty five!" He cried in disbelief." But you have gray hair!" Kakashi blinked and glanced up to study his hair as if just noticing for the first time that it wasn't like normal peoples hair.

"It's silver actually. I'm not that old."Kakashi's eyes curved into a smile. Trowa set his bowl down and immediately bent across the table to further inspect the hair closer up. Kakashi just raised his eyebrow in slight confusion.

"Holy crap it is! That's so cool!" He laughed and sat back, picking up the bowl again to resume his feast."I've never met anyone with silver hair before and-"He stopped for a second."Hey wait aren't you gonna eat?" Kakashi shook his head in a calm matter.

"I don't eat in public."He replied. Pointing to the mask that covered his mouth and entire face up to the bridge of his nose.

"Why don't you just take it off?"Trowa asked.

"Don't ever say that to me again."Kakashi ordered.

* * *

' Crap, I spent almost the whole day with this kid when I was supposed to be taking reports.' Kakashi mentally sighed. ' If Tsunde finds out she'll kill me! Guess I'll just have to work harder tomorrow.' Kakashi silently strolled along the street down which had already begun to darken with the setting sun in the horizon. His book in hand. Beside him, Trowa walked quietly, well almost. Next to the stick he held in his head clinking with the fence next to him as he went, the boy didn't speak.

"So, where do you live?" Kakashi spoke up. Trowa looked up at him new found friend.

"The other side of town, why?" He replied.

"Then why are we walking this this way!" Kakashi replied through clenched teeth.

"I don't know I'm following you."Trowa shrugged. Kakashi opened his mouth to reply but failed to speak and words as he was at a loss for them.Sighing, he turned on his heels and began to walk the other way from where he had just come from. Trowa followed.

"Are you going to be here tomorrow?" Trowa asked.

"Yes, but I am on a mission. And I can't spend all day sitting around or rescuing you." Kakashi replied, not looking up from his reading material. Trowa frowned and snorted.

"You didn't save me, you cocky bastard!" He cried."In fact you did the opposite of saving by pushing me off a fucking roof!"

"Watch your language."

"Whatever."Trowa huffed.

"Do you live with your family?" Kakashi asked, changing the subject in the process. Trowa once again looked back to his stick that continually clinked with the fence.

"Yeah, Mom and Dad." Trowa replied."How about you-" He was interrupted by a loud bang that echoed from the distance and jumped in surprise as a result. Kakashi 's gaze immediately shot up from his book, briskly turning around to where the sound had come from. "What was that?" He asked. Kakashi frowned, as he slide his book away.

"Don't follow me!" Kakashi ordered and before Trowa was able to reply the silver haired man was gone in an incredible speed that he looked as if to vanish into thin air.

"Kakashi! Wait up!" Trowa called and began to run down the street after him, ignoring his orders not to.

* * *

Kakashi leapt across the building roofs with grace and speed of a ninja. All the while mentally cursing himself for being so carefree and careless during a b-ranked mission. He should've never let his guard down, defiantly not for as long as he did. Everything was so peaceful, and he had fallen for the quietness.

Setting his blameful nature aside, he spotted an opening ahead. A field, he guessed. With very little trees in grass country, the possibility that anyone will be able effectively hide is low. In fact impossible unless one ina shinobi an is familiar with cover Jutsu. Even a jounin like himself would find it difficult. So Kakashi knew that whoever had made the bang, friend or foe, will not hid from him.

He stopped before entering the clearing that ended his cover of the buildings. Spotting up ahead, he saw three people out in the field. He frowned. 'We're they even going to try to hide?' Kakashi inquired, but in closer inspection. He saw that each of the three were males, and young at that. Maybe even 19 or so. Next he saw that a large billboard sign had fallen from it's secure hinges to lay face down on the flat surface. Kakashi sighed. ' It's only kids vandalizing signs.' He was relieved that it wasn't anything that major, but knew that next time he may not be so lucky.

"Hey, you down there!" Kakashi called out as he leapt down to the floor below.

The three boys immediately looked up from the conversation they were involved in upon hearing Kakashi's voice.

"What the hell do you want old man!"One called.

"Go back to the nursing home, geezer!"They laughed and turned away from the slowly approaching man. ' Damn arrogant kids these days. Back in my day, I would have gotten my ass kicked for speaking to my elders like that.' He thought.

"What is with this town and punks like you? Doesn't your mother teach you kids any manners?"Kakashi inquired calmly as he made his way over to where they stood in a small circle.

"What did you say!" They shouted in anger.

"Are you really that fucking stupid to try to pick a fight with us old man?" One shouted. Kakashi mentally sighed once more.' Again with the old man insults?' He thought. ' This is really getting boring.'

"Watch your mouth."Kakashi replied, repeating himself from before. Known for his distaste for the language known as cursing." Now, you're going to help me push this sign back up to where it stood before you three decided to become rebels, okay?" Kakashi finally came to a stop in front of the three. He now stood towering over the boys whose tallest member only reached his chest, in a rather challenging manner. Even if this kind of actions were uncommon in the copy ninja, he was kinda board after all. Who knows, maybe these three could give him some amusement after a long week with absolutely nothing to report. He would rather enjoy watching them try to kick his ass, as they would so put it.

The three glanced at each other for a moment, before falling into a huge fit of pure laughter before the ninja. Kakashi stood quietly and calmly while each boy's face turned bright red from the humor where Kakashi had apparently missed out on.

"You're kidding right?" One asked through his fit of laughter. Kakashi remained silent.

"Did you just say to put this ugly sign back up?" Another asked.

"Fuck off, geezer!" The third laughed.

Flash.

Before any of the boys even knew what hit them, they were on the face first into the tall grass that was crushed below their bodies, Kakashi stepping on the pile of right hands that he had pulled behind their backs and formed into a tight pile on the middle boys back. The move, with a little help from the chakra formed to Kakashi's foot, disabled any struggling and unnecessary movements in fear that if they did, their arm would break beneath his foot. All they could do was to cry in pain, no matter how little it was.

"I don't like being told to fuck off, anyone who is around me, be it teacher or student, knows that those words will not go unnoticed nor unpunished." Kakashi's voice remained calm completely, and even if his sentence was threatening his tone held no such anger or threatening manner."Yes sir." He spoke.

"Y-es, sir." They mumbled, in unison. Kakashi's foot lifted from their hands upon hearing their response. Each boy shifted to their knees, as they softly rubbed the red spot on the wrist. Each wondering how was it that an old man managed to move that fast and to hold that move in place perfectly as to not break their wrists nor cause an serious damage.

"Okay then. Lets push this back up." Kakashi's eye curved into a smile. The boys that knelt before him all raised their eyebrows in surprise at the mans once threatening nature turning into happiness. They slowly got to their feet, as he ordered. The respect factor now showing it's face to the three who at one time failed to have any.

Taking their placing surrounding the outline of the large billboard, along side Kakashi, he gave the signal, and with little effort, mainly due to Kakashi, they managed to lift the billboard back into its appropriate slots and it the process once again securing it in place.

After the task was down, the three boys quickly ran off back into the city. Kakashi sighed again as he rubbed the back of his head, lifting his gaze to see the picture. Curious of exactly what the picture was. But the answer was completly not what he was expecting, and took his by utter surprise and shocked him more than he had ever been.

"Kakashi!" Came a voice from the distance, but still his extremely wide eye never blinked nor left the picture above. Trowa closed the distance between him and the silver haired man but grew curious as to why the ninja didn't acknowledge his presence. "kakashi?" He asked once he had come to stand beside the frozen man."Yo, what's up? What was that sound?" He inquired. The silver haired man was silent. Trowa raised an eyebrow." Why are you-" He stopped when he saw the outline of his mask stretch which gave off the signal that the man had opened his mouth to speak. Trowa awaited any words from the silent man, but when they did, he was confused at just what they meant.

"... S-Sakura?" Kakashi whispered.


	2. Classifed no longer

"...S-Sakura?" Kakashi struggled with the words that he had finally forced himself to say even though he could almost feel his throat closing from the lump that blocked his airway. But he had finally spoke, even if it was merely a crock of sorts. His heart felt like it was speeding up and freeze at the same time, leaving him feeling like he couldn't catch his breath either way. His eyes darted at an incredible pace to completely take in the entire picture that towered above him, but it failed to connect thoroughly with his racing mind that could focus on just one thing as thousand of thoughts were sent shooting through his head all at once. All he could make out was that girl was Sakura Haruno.

Why was Sakura's picture featured on the billboard? He didn't understand.

"You've heard of Sakura Hoku?" Trowa's voice was faded by the thoughts inside of Kakashi's frantic mind, but somehow, Trowa was heard.

"What?" Kakashi whispered, his eyes never leaving the picture, but his head tilting slightly to suggest that he was listening somewhat.

"Sakura Hoku, is she popular in...where did you say you were from? Konoha?" Trowa inquired. After a second of delay time, Kakashi faintly nodded his head. Not even sure that the boy beside him was able to see his little response.

"No, wait, what?" Kakashi asked, realizing that his thoughts were elsewhere right now. Trowa just laughed.

"She's pretty isn't she?" Trowa commented, raising his eye brows with a grin plastered on his face. 'Typical,' Trowa thought.' Everyone who sees her instantly falls attracted to this women. I really don't blame him.'

"...Who?" Kakashi whispered. Damn that three second delay!

"Sakura Hoku of course! Where the hell are you?" Trowa reached out to wave a wake-up hand in front of Kakashi's gaze, that successfully gathered his attention back to Trowa, as his eyes were finally able to leave the picture above.

"I'm sorry, did you say that her name is Sakura Hoku?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah, that's her name." No, this can't be right. Her name is Sakura Haruno, not Hoku. Kakashi could recognize that vibrant pink hair away where, but the picture didn't look anything like the Sakura he knew. She was naked, on the middle of a huge billboard in front of everyone to see, she was covered by her legs and arms mind you, but still. The Sakura he knew who have never even thought of posing nude for anything. Next to her, was an advertisement of some kind of perfume, which simply stated 'Get Naked' in huge red letters that spread across the screen. Her face was beautifully tanned and her straight long pink hair hung across her face as an outline.

"What is this picture doing out in the he middle of a field?"Kakashi asked.

"Oh they put billboards everywhere these days, advertising is everything in these town. Sakura is very very popular here." Trowa replied." The top model in the world in fact." Model? Kakashi thought in shock. Sakura's a model? When did this happen? She only left Konoha three years ago, how could she have had enough time to get this popular as Trowa her claimed she is? The thought puzzled him.

"Has she always gone by Hoku?"Kakashi inquired innocently. Trowa raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Of course, what else would she go by?" He laughed as if Kakashi was somehow playing a game with him or something.

"Maybe Haruno? " Kakashi looked back up at the picture.

"I think that you've got her confused with someone else, I've never heard of Sakura Haruno."Trowa replied. Why does she go by another name? He wondered. Maybe a change of name in equal to a change of identity in her eyes. Kakashi's eyes narrowed as he turned him gaze to the floor before him."Hey, Kakashi, what's wrong?" Trowa asked.

"Nothing."He answered without hesitation."Do you by any chance know where I could find Sakura?" He tried, really not expecting any such luck. Trowa wasn't, after all, an acquaintance nor friend. So the possibility was slim.

"She's actually having a party tonight at the Hummingbird club, but you could never get in It's strictly a-lists only." Trowa replied with a sigh. ' Hmm, maybe he's a fan.' Kakashi thought, but was grateful for whatever info he got."If you want to see her, you could try her fashion shows?" He suggested.

* * *

"Welcome Mr.-Hatake, it's strange. I was just wanting to see you." Kakashi respectively shook hands with the man that stood before him, but didn't much feel like returning the smile which he was given from the person. His mind was on other matter.

The man before him was none other then the head of the table of council in charge of the entire country of Grass, Keiichi. Of course, he was rather young, at the age of 19 or so, but his hard work and raw ambition had rewarded him with the position of head of Council at the age of 17.

"About what?" Kakashi asked as his hand was placed back into his pocket. He watched the rather young man that had nice stood before him, turn and slowly walk back towards the large desk behind him, before stepping forward to completely enter the room. Shutting the door softly behind him.

"I am concerned." He replied, lifting the lid to a small nice golden box which sat on the corner of his desk. Pulling out a large, and most defiantly pricey, cigar from the gathering of four or five which were laid inside the container. Cutting the end off and lighting the cigar, he let the smoke play around the air for a moment of silence before continuing." I have resources that inform me that the Omi company are running a safe house for banished ninja of our neighboring countries on the low, I have been told that this action has been taken under my nose for quite some time." Omi Company? Kakashi thought.

"That name sounds familiar." He stated, digging deep into his memories in search for the name that felt as if he knew from somewhere else of of a prior time.

"The Omi company is a small training camp for ninja of our allies, including those of Konoha." The man informed. Of course. Kakashi knew that it sounded familiar. Of course he himself hadn't trained there for many years, but he had heard that the Omi Company was still offering secret training for ninja from around the land.

"Banished Ninja, you say?" He inquired, receiving a simple nod from Keiichi." Why haven't I been informed before now?"

"You find out when I do. And me myself found only a short while ago. Something must be different inside the Omi Company walls for an underground safe house to have gone unnoticed for this long." Keiichi spoke with the up most seriousness in the matter of this topic.But Kakashi knew what he would ask of next, and feared that he himself would be unable to complete the task." I need you to go undercover and penetrate Omi Company and stop this abomination A.s.a.p." Keiichi flicked the excess Cigar butts into a nearby ashtray.

"I don't think that I alone are enough to complete this task." Kakashi spoke the truth." If they truly are providing a safe house for banished Shinobi, then my skills alone aren't'y enough to handle every one of them if I should be uncovered." Keiichi was quiet as he calmly smoked the cigar, exhaling the left over smoke from his mouth, he just stared over at the tall silver haired man who stood in front of his desk.

"The mighty Hatake Kakashi is unable to do this?"He replied in a slightly taunting manner.

"I'm not Mighty, and I have the same weaknesses as any other shinobi. Unfortunatly great numbers and Kunais happen to be some of them."Kakashi replied, as lazily as ever.

"Don't be Sarcastic with me." He warned."You are her to inspect the current standing of this village, as well as see to any other matters in which I need to be secure. And I am ordering you to completely this mission with the up most skill and to keep your reputation of a Genius Ninja, am I clear?" He asked, letting his brown eyes stare challenging into Kakashi one visible orb. Kakashi, unfortunately, had never been the one to intimidated by any one. Even if this man happened to be a client, as well as the head of an allying country.

"Anything else?" He asked innocently, but never breaking gazes with the young red head man in front of him. Keiichi couldn't help but snort upon hearing his arrogant remark.

"Yeah,... actually there is one more thing. That is if you think you can handle this task?" Keiichi grinned as he took another puff of smoke.

"What is it?" He sighed. Damnit, he thought. I just knew that it was too good to be true to have a normal mission without asshole clients, impossible missions and finding out that my ex-student was a top model posing nude on billboards around town' Come to think of it, whenever has he ever had a mission that didn't detail one of the three? 'Sakura...' He thought with a mentally sigh.

"Kakashi?" Keiichi's irritated response finally snapped Kakashi from his thoughts, and made the silver haired man's eyes abruptly come back into focus.

"Sorry, what?" Kakashi mentally slapped himself while cursing his suddenly wondering mind. 'Damnit Kakashi stay on task! This is a mission and you will be professional about this or so help me God!'

"As I was saying, I need you to keep an eye on someone while inside the Omi Company."

"Someone, you want me to keep an eye on?" Who could it be, Kakashi thought. Maybe a ninja in training in particular?

"Her name is Sakura Hoku." Maybe a-

It took a second for Keiichis' words to calculate inside Kakashi's mind, but when they did his eye widened in surprise.

"W-what?"He stammered. Feeling his heart race frantically inside his chest he felt his pulse race as a result. Palms, below his gloves heated up as they felt damp with the sweet forming on, not only his hands, but on the entirety of his body. The room suddenly heated up to a temperature that made his body feel like it was in a oven.

"I want you see to her total protection,a bodyguard , if you will."He replied. Kakashi's eyes closed lightly as his head titled to his chest, his normal lazily slouching once again taking over. 'Damn it,' he mentally cursed.' Even if he did desire to see her, he had wanted it to be a quick one time thing. All he wanted was to see her. His eyes just wished to see her, from a far. That would be enough for him, but this changed everything. He doubted his ability to not only see her nut to stay around her. Being a body guard would entail twenty-four seven presence by her side, which was the one thing that that he didn't want to do. Not after all that has happen between them, did he think that he was capable of saying around her all the time. The thought made his racing heart sink down into his stomach.

The folder which Keiichi convenientlytossed to the edge to the desk catch Kakashi's attention. Written upon the front cover was the simple word of Classified. Kakashi was silent as he watched the golden envelope, as if he expected it to do something other then just sit there. What made him think that way kinda of scared him.

"What's this?"He asked, even though he was quite aware of what the object was. One who is a shinobi will come to know the Classified folder very well over the years.

"Sakura Hoku's personal information. Classified, so this is for your eyes only, am I clear?" Keiichi replied.

"Yep." He sighed, but inside he was very accusios to get reading just what was written in her file. If she goes by Hoku and no one knows any different, then he was curious as to what other fact might be distorted from the truth.

"You're dismissed."He waved away. Kakashi picked up the folder from the table before turning on his heel, heading for the exit.

But before he could completely take his leave, Keiichi spoke up.

"Kakashi, did you want to talk with me about something?" The man asked.

"Oh, I forgot." Kakashi suddenly remembered that he wanted to ask for access into the party to be held in Sakura's honor. Turning back to face the man who hadn't moved from his desk, he replied." I should get to Sakura a.s.a.p, and I need get access into her party, without being identified."

"Consider it done. Now get going."He replied, Kakashi left without a moment of hesitation.

* * *

With the folder still clutched in hand, Kakashi made his way up the large staircase which lead to his Hotel room located on the top floor. At least he was lucky enough to get a proper bed to sleep in for the duration of this mission, unlike most of his other missions which required him to sleep on a small mat on the floor. Ah, the glamorous life of a Ninja.

Reaching into the back pocket of his uniform pants upon reaching the door of his hotel room, he pulled out a small key attached to a strange bright orange tag. Perhaps to prevent clients from misplacing the keys to their rooms. Unlocking the door, he stepped inside.

The room was dark with the lights out, and the sun setting in the horizon hidden behind the many large buildings served to give anymore light to the town which had begun to dink into the darkness of night. Normally, the night would bring upon a whole new kind of scoping for information for Kakashi. His mission taking him deep into the underground night clubs and many local bars to inspect the nokturning side of Grass population. But the new tasks presented to him, dividing his attention to separate objectives. And he couldn't deny that most of his drive was focused on the classified folder which he still held firmly in his hand. The fact that Sakura had suddenly re-entered the picture was an opportunity that he was neither willing nor able to pass up.

Flicking the light on, the features of the small room where he was staying came into focus. Well, what little features there was to see, that is. In fact all that awaited his once unable eyes to see was a small, rather ugly plaid arm chair which sat in the corner by the window, and a double bed made neatly with dark blue sheets. Oh and a small side table that stood next to the bed, that held a lamp and a clock. There was a door in the wall across from the bed that made way for a small single bathroom to be built in.

Shutting the door behind him, Kakashi walked across the floor and sank to the bed upon reaching it. Hearing the unattractive creaking noise coming from the old springs inside the worn down bed in the process. Tossing the folder on the bed behind him, he bent down to pull out the black backpack that he had hidden underneath the bed in his absence. An old trick he learnt in the academy, while he was younger.

Unzipping it, he searched the insides until he pulled out a brown paper bag, and in turn pulled out a red apple from inside it. Letting the bag drop to the floor, he pushed himself onto the bed until he lay comfortably on the full length, his head grateful to have a rest on the pillow below. Pulling down his mask, he took a bite from the fruit. Enjoying the taste of food after almost an hour of having nothing to eat, thinking of how nice it would be if he actually remembered to pick up some proper food when he had in the market, but grateful that he at least had something to snack on.

Swallowing the bite, he reached beside him to pick up the folder which he had tossed to the bed mere moments before. Setting the apple down the side table beside him head, curiosity had gotten the better of him this time, as he tore off the top which successfully opened the once sealed folder. Glancing inside, he reached into the package to pulled out the thin stack of papers that had been captured in the folder, releasing then from their prison if you will. Setting the empty file on the bed beside him he finally lifted the stack of papers up to his eye view and read the cover.

SAKURA HOKU

It read. And was accompanied by a simple head shot photo, to identify the subject. So it began, he mused slightly. Sitting back up on the bed, he lifted the cover away so the second page of the stack could be read.

AGE 25

EYES GREEN

HAIR PINK

DISTINGUISHING MARK TATTOO LOWER BACK LOGO OF GRASS.

BIRTHPLACE GRASS COUNTRY

PROFESSIONAL MODEL, 20 AWARDS FOR HER WORK.

FAMILY ONLY CHILD

PARENTS DECEASED

Kakashi read over the information, everything was weird and distorted from the truth. Except for the hair color , and eye color. That seemed to be in tacked. But then again given all the rest of the fake information, he didn't really her expect her have changed her appearance in some way. Dying her hair, getting contacts, things like that are easy to come by and are quite effective.

Flipping threw the other pages, he got history, current residence, pretty much her whole fake idently was written neatly in the papers he held.

Sighing, he let his eyes fall shut as he fell back ti the mattress below.

'A lot has happened in the three years since Sakura left. I wonder if she'll still act the same as she did back in Konoha. Or did that change too...'

* * *

Okay new chappy, how you like it? Well tell me! REVIEW DAMNIT!

P.s I know my grammar such major donkey balls, and my spelling ain't that pretty neither! But please, please stop bugging me about! Lol just kidding. You know I love you all!


	3. What The Wind Brought In

Okay, new chappy. Now it's gonna get interesting, trust me on this one! -

('-')

(")(") Like my little cat!

* * *

Glancing down at the long list of names which had been prior excepted into the party, Brown eyes finally scanned over the name which he had been searching for. Lifting his head from the paper, his gaze once again fell into the blue orbs that started intently back at him. Giving the rather tall man before him the once over, seeing the simple but anything but plain white dress shirt which was covered stylishly by a black button down jacket that was left undone to drape over his well defined chest. Also seeing the black dress pants which was topped off with a white belt that hung very lossy around his waist, as if it wasn't set to the correct tightness for his waist.

"Mr. Hatake?" The large think man who was guarding the door replied.

"That's me." Kakashi answered coolly.

"Go on in."The man replied, setting aside just enough to let the much smaller man through.

Successfully completion of the first step, he thought as he calmly made his way down the long dark and rather damp hallway, which was void of any other people. Stuffing his hands deep into his pockets, he tossed his head to the side to spit out the blueberry flavored gum which had served to calm his unusually high nerves after it had somewhat done it's propose. Of course the annoying butterflies remained, fluttering around so much that he thought someone who actually hear.

Keiichi had done what he said he would, Kakashi s name had been successfully added to the acceptance list for Sakura Hoku's party. Of course his real name had been conveniently left out, being replaced by Tre Hatake, brother of his real identity. But taking the occupation of personal assistant, instead of ninja. As the title of Shinobi who draw far too much attention to himself, as well as jeopardize his mission of mole within Omi corp. In fact, in order to keep his identity further hidden, his identifiable mix matched eyes were covered by blue contacts and the mask which had always covered his face was left back at the hotel room, leaving his features open to be viewed by any other person. His jounin uniform was also absent, being replaced by a wardrobe more suited to the role that he had developed for this mission.

Pausing at the door that ended the walk down the hallway, he took a moment to compose himself. Inhaling a deep cleansing breath, his fist lifted from his pocket and gave a short rhythmic knock. After a second, the door swung open.

Kakashi was instantly hit by the music which blared into his ears. The song held a deep and dark melody that melted into the surrounding perfectly, as the large spacious room was lite by few lights, and filled from front to back with at least a thousand guests who had arrived before he had. None danced, rather standing around. Sipping on their chosen poison and mingling with other guests.

Before he knew it, the door where he had entered was shut, sealing the exit, and finally giving Kakashi the sense of the mission being real. This was it, no turning back now. Taking a step forward, he instantly felt at least a dozen gazing turning sharply at him. Ignoring them for the time being, instead he focused every sense in search of the one who had become his mission to find, whether he wanted to necessarily find her or not. It became a difficult task with the constantly increasing numbers of persons that filled the room. His sharp eyes scanned the crowd until they came to a jerked halt. There she was. Her pink hair was unmistakable even in this dark light. He allowed his gaze to look her over, finding different features from the Sakura which he had once know, long ago. For one, her body had become much more leaner. Of course she had always been thin, but now it seemed as if she has lost some weight, around her ass, as if seemed to have filled quite nicely with the rest of her perfect figure.

Suddenly he roughly shook his head to snap him back to his senses. Now wasn't the time to revisiting his past feelings. Not now, not ever.

He moved forward as disappeared into the crowd.

* * *

Sakura smiled at the comment made by her acquaintance, her green eyes curving nicely as a result.

"Might I just comment on your beautiful gown, Ms. Hoku?"The older man requested, causing Sakura to smirk flirtatiously and playfully spin around, allowing her clothe to move in the wind crested by her action. When the description of Cloth is giving, the word matches her dress perfectly as it is just a cloth. Falling just above her beautifully long slender model legs, the cream colored dress slit so far down on the top that it barely covered her breasts beneath the fabric. None that wouldn't be so bad if the back hadn't been designed the same way, only much lower, as the back piece fell just above her ass. The sides were big, and sleeveless which allowed no coverage from that angle and hung loosely down the sides. Not a normal dress in the least.

"You look stunning as always." The old man commented, gently lifting her hand to place a chaste kiss on her hand, which she willingly allowed.

"Why thank you Mr. Hitsu, you know I love to look my absolute best whenever you are in attendance." She replied, as they broke their contact.

"How nice of you to humor on old man, but you couldn't be less beautiful if you tried."

"Oh, stop it! I just threw this old thing on out of the blue. It's a Desiel original from three years ago, it's a bit out of style but when I saw it I fell in love." Sakura shrugged, sipping her drink carelessly.

"So, a lot of guests have attended this evening." He replied, as well taking a gently sip of his drink. Sakura nodded, as she scanned the guest who were talking with each other, and drinking, on the lower level.

Suddenly she froze. Her eyes widened in surprise and shook. The silver hair was unmistakable, as it made her heart freeze instantly. Muffled music sang from outside her still world, as the rest of the many people who surrounded him froze in time. Allowing him to be the only one that she looked at. Fake blue eyes caught her green ones from where he calmly walked across the floor down on the lower level. They weren't the same eyes but that look he gave her. Emotionless, plain. As if nothing was different from a regular day, as if nothing had changed when really, every single thing was different now. Sakura couldn't help but just stare at him, unable to think of any other course of action to take right now.

"Sakura."That voice, it wasn't his. Who..."Sakura, are you alright?"

Suddenly the music once more blared into her ears and the movement below had begun again as if it never stopped. Jarring her attention to the concerned man that stood next to her she blinked.

"What?" She whispered, knowing that her response wouldn't be able to reach his ears in this place.

"Are you alright, you spaced out for a moment there." Quickly glancing back into the crowed for the man who she had spotted earlier, she was surprised to find his gone. He had vanished from the sea of people. Sakura swallowed as her senses returned to her and after a small awakening shake of her head, she gave a small smile. A fake one.

"Yeah, I'm fine."She lied, suddenly everything wasn't fine. This was wrong.

"Are you sure, do you need to sit down?"He suggested. Sakura shook her head.

"Thank you, but I think I just need some fresh air." Sakura set her half empty drink down on the nearby table before making her way over to the stairs on rather shaky feet.

Ignoring most starter conversations which she was met with at the lower level, and with the occasional smile and nod, she made her way through the crowd with haste. She slipped out the back entrance, which was not guarded, thankfully. The cold night immediately hit her practically naked body, causing her to crossed her arms over her chest to warm herself. It was windy, and the messy bun was ripped out from it's hold and allowed the stray pink hair to blow drastically around it the rushed air. Her heart beat rapidly inside her chest, she was scared. Scared of seeing him, why she didn't quite know. He was after all at one time her-

A cracking sound to the right of her startled her, as she gasped and jumped in surprise. Her green eyes darting quickly to the sound, only to find the a small tree had fallen to the roof, after being tossed around it the wind. Mentally sighing after finding that it had been nothing, she resumed her scan of the deserted roof.

"Hello?"She called out in a stutter. "Is anyone-"

Within a blink of the eye, a rough hand and grabbed her arm in an iron hold, as a strong body knocked her to the stone wall behind where she stood. Her back hit the surface, but it didn't hurt as much as she thought it would. She instinctively opened her mouth the scream but a gloved hand quickly covered her lips, stopping the scream into a muffled cry. With her eyes wide in terror she felt the body press into hers against the wall.

"Don't scream." She heard a deep toned order, sending shivers down her body. She breathed raged breaths of air from her nose as any other means of breathing had been covered. Squeezing her eyes shut she melted into a limp form against the wall, not even attempting to fight the hold which this person had on her. She knew that they were confused with her easy going nature, as she felt the hold slightly loosen with hers.

"Kill me."She suddenly whispered, not really knowing why she had said it until it had already been said. There was a pause of silence.

"I'm not going to kill you."Came the response , as she felt the hand that covered her mouth break contact.

Sakura opened her eyes slowly, almost hesitate to look upon the person who's body still pressed against hers. But when she did, she saw...

"..Kakashi..."She whispered almost to herself. He didn't reply. In fact he didn't react, even if inside he was shaking with emotions that he thought had left him long ago. His fake blue eyes just stared at the wall which they were currently pressed up against in the most personal position.

His body left hers slowly, as he took only one step back from her. Remaining close enough for her to still feel the heat which radiated off his body. Without having him to keep her up she fell heavily onto the wall in order to remain in her feet. Grasping at the flat surface, she pushed herself onto her wobbly legs.

Neither spoke for a while. Kakashi just staring at the wall behind her, the wall which his arms still leaned upon in between her head. And Sakura just staring at him. Finally, the silence was broken.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered, slipping the strap that had fallen off her shoulder back up to it's place with a small blush. Thankful that the night around her hide the slightly embarrassed expression.

Kakashi didn't reply for a second, his unreadable eyes sternly focused on the wall. "Business." He finally said. Sakura swallowed, as her eyes left his and fell to the floor.

"Your business brings you to Grass country? What kind of business is it?" She asked, letting her hands grab fists of her dress to stop the nerves she felt and the shaking of her hands. He didn't reply. " That's okay... I don't care anyway. Please leave." She whispered, with that she tried step around him, only to have Kakashi's arms block her way as it still was pressed against the wall next to her head.

"Let me pass." She ordered, not looking anywhere but the floor at her feet.

"We need to talk." He ordered, using the tone that we would frequently use for mission propose . The serious- no-joke, tone. She swallowed, it had been a long time since that tone was last used on her. She didn't like it. It brought up too many memories which she spent so long trying to forget.

"We have nothing to talk about." She whispered almost bitterly, her eyes darkening and clouded with shadows.

"My mission concerns you." He replied, in a not very convincing uncaring voice. Sakura glance up at his eyes that still focused on the wall.

"What are you talking-"

"My mission, is to be your bodyguard until my other task has been completed." Kakashi hated this. Sakura's eyes widened in surprise.

"No, there's a mistake."She replied. Kakashi almost snorted but didn't. It was the response that he was expecting. The no you've got it wrong, approach of dealing with matters that you don't like.

"There isn't."Kakashi said impatiently. The sooner they get over the denial crap, the sooner that this mission will end and they could once again go their separate ways.

He let his arms drop to his sides, as he turned his gaze to the darkened sky above. The wind rustling with his already messy silver hair, as with his jacket and pants. "This isn't what I want either, but I have my orders to watch over you, my other task is classified. So this is how it's going to be." He turned his fake blue eyes sharply at her, seeing that her gaze hand fallen to the floor again. "You will do what I say, no questions asked. Where ever you go, I will be accompanying you, no exceptions." Kakashi replied, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"No." She snapped. Kakashi didn't react. Sakura's eyes turned sharply up at his. "This mission is bullshit and I won't accept it. Leave me alone, I don't need your protection."With that she turned on her heels and started to briskly walk away.

Before she could leave through the door leading down to the party, Kakashi swifted appeared in front of her to once again block her way. She halted her walk, turning her sharp green eyes to glare into his rather calm blue ones.

"Get out of my way."She demanded.

"I'm not finished." Kakashi replied.

"I don't care, I'm not listening." Sakura stubbornly crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well, you're going to have to if you want to stay alive." He shrugged without a care.

"No one is after me. I'm not in 'danger', I don't need you here, I don't want you here. So just leave!"She shouted. Kakashi moved closer, straightening his posture to give the illusion of more height above her own. In turn, Sakura slightly shifted back.

"I wasn't talking about the people after you. I was talking about my orders to kill you if you should be disobedient." Kakashi replied, his voice dark. Sakura swallowed, but he could tell that his scare tactics were working, she couldn't hide it as she continued to move back when he moved forward.

"You wouldn't kill me." She whispered.

"What makes you so sure?" Kakashi asked, his forward motion continuing, and her backwards retreat that occurred with each of his steps.

"Because, if you are ordered to protect me, then killing me would make your mission pointless." Sakura tried to sound confident, and from where she was, it worked. But Kakashi's approach continued without hesitation.

"But a dead person would be so much easier to protect that that who is living, isn't that right?" Sakura gasped when she felt another wall behind her collide with her back. And slightly jumped when Kakashi was once again right next to her, their bodies close enough to share heat.

"I-I'm not afraid of you."Sakura snapped.

"Then why do you cower in front of me?" Kakashi cocked his head to the side, his fake blue eyes piercing into hers, unnerving her. Sakura swallowed again.

"...I hate you." She whispered without even processing what she had said before it was too let and she had already spoken it. Kakashi sighed, as he saw her glare soften with surprise.

"Now, where have I heard that before?" He whispered and shifted away from her body. "Now, from now on, I'm Tre Hatake. Brother of Kakashi Hatake, and person assistant to Sakura Hoku'. Got it?" Kakashi didn't wait for her to reply, as he turned his back to her and began to walk towards the door. Stopping momentarily to glance over his shoulder to Sakura, seeing that she hadn't moved from the spot against the far wall.

"Well, aren't you coming?"

* * *

Sakura barely felt the warmth that she had desired moments before upon re-entering the heated room back through the roof door from once she came, for her heart was pumping so hard and fast that her body had long since warmed on that factor alone. But Kakashi's body, which she could sense walking mere centimeters behind her, cause her muscles to tense up, giving more cause for her skin to no longer fell the intense chill which had been in the air prior.

It had been a very long time since this man has been this close to this women. And the sudden meeting came as a meeting that was unwanted by both parties. Causing an intense uncomfortable feeling to drift in the air around them.

Neither spoke. Was it because they didn't want to, or didn't know how, the answer didn't really matter. Instead a dead silence of voices surrounded both of them, as neither objected to it. Of course the blaring music wouldn't allow complete silence to ever be possible, but they were equally gratefully for the loud tune.

Kakashi took the oppuntity to secretly look the women in front of him over for the first time, given the posistion which he was in. She did indead have the body to be a model, although that subject was something he was never to familer with. And that dress showed that she wasn't at all afraid letting it be seen, upon other things. His eyes narrowed slightly, this Sakura was much, much different from the one which had had known three years ago. For example, the before Sakura would have never been caught in such a revieling dress, or high heels for that matter. It gave him the idea that she had given up the shinobi life for another.

"Sakura!"A calling voice snapped Sakura's attention for the ground, to face the new person that would gratfully interupt this unwanted 'alone' time with the man walking behind him.

"Tezuka."Sakura said, hoping that her over welling relfif for seeing this man didn't immediatly come out with her words, but failed they did. Stopping in the corner that exited from the hallway where she had come from, Kakashi immedaitly stopped right behind her, before their bodies could make contact.

Out from the crowd in front of them, came the tall thin, but well defined younge man. Wearing an all black suit, featureing matching shoes, his long greenish colour hair tied back with a ponytail, letting the grouped hair to fall onto his back. Following him, emerged a young women with short blonde hair, strecked with black that drapped over her left eye. She wore a white torned up dress that clung to her mid thigh, with a black dress shirt below it to cover the parts where her dress didn't. Also she wore black gloves that rose to her elbows and were cut to allow her fingers to show.

"I've been looking all over the place for you, where did you disappear to?" Upon reaching her, Tezuka leaned forward to place a small kiss on Sakura's cheek. She was suddenly overwelmed with the urge to look over her shoulder to see what Kakashi's reaction to the action would be to see this man kiss her as causaly as he had, but was slightly unnerved to see his eyes emotionless, as they never once turned away. As she thought they would have considering...

"Anyway, you must come and speak with Mr.Oshii. He was running an idea to next weeks cover page,and-" Sakura looked up into his eyes when he stopped."Who's this?"He asked, Sakura blinked but her mind went blank.

"Tre Hatake, I've been hired as a person assistent to Ms. Hoku."Sakura hated the calmness inwhich he spoke, and the way he acting around Tezuka. But most of all, the way her fake last name just rolled off his tongue as if it had been her real one. Turning her attention back to the man who stood before her, the same man that had a gentle hold on her upperarm.

"Mr.Hatake? Was it?"Tezuke asked.

"Yes."Kakashi answered.

"Since when have you ever needed a personal assisent? You have me." Tezuke smiled down at her. Sakura swallowed. Now this would defiantly make Kakashi feel something. What, she couldn't tell. Due to his wide range of emotions which he had always chosen to hide, but he had to feel something.

"I'm hear to not only make Sakura's life easier but yours as well." Kakashi replied without missing a beat."If you think about it, I will take most of the inconvienate tasks which only slow you down, so that your main focus will be on Ms. Hoku's career in particular." Sakura bit her bottom lip. Did he really feel nothing towards her and Tezuka. Jealousy, maybe anger? But nothing? Sakura couldn't help but smirk almost saddly.

'I guess he's really gotten over me after all.' She thought to herself.

"He's not my personal assistant." She found herself speaking before her brain understood what was going on. The conversation between Kakashi and Tezuka ended sharply, with both parties turning their gazes immediatly towards the women.

Kakashi mentally cursed, and his eyes narrowed slightly. 'Damnit Sakura, what the hell are you thinking!' But he cursed himself, what would ever give him the idea that she would agree to this? He couldn't trust her, not now. But he thought that threatening her life would at least keep her mouth shut, even if she didn't want him there.

His thoughts suddenly rememebered back to what she had said on the roof. She hated him.' I've been stupid.' He thought to himself. But he had to recover from this, even if Sakura was going to be stubborn about this, this was still his mission. It had to be completed with or without her approval.

Opening his mouth to responed with something quick, he was cut off...

"..He's also my good friend."She contined with her statement. After, her brain was finally set back into motion. Kakashi's mouth closed in surprise, even if his emotion didn't show it off.

What? Had she just... helped him? She did.

"He's a friend, huh?" Tezuka asked. Sakura nodded, making her reluctant eyes turn to look into the fake blue ones that stared back at her. She immediatly saw that they held surprise and confusion. Well, at least he felt something, she mused.

"Yes. An old friend. He'll be of great help to me and you. Trust me, he knows what he's doing." Sakura forced herself to smile, through the butterflies that fluttered in her stomache knowing that he was looking intently at her back. She reached up to gently place a comforting hand on Tezuka's chest.

Kakashi turned his attention up to Tezuka once again upon hearing his sigh.

"Fine. I guess I do need someone to handle the stupid small stuff.."He ran a hand thrugh his green hair.

"Then it's settled." Sakura turned to face Kakashi."You start tomorow. Working for me." She replied. Letting her gaze flicker down, at the inability to look him in the eyes. After a moment, she turned around and lead Tezuka away for the uncomforatle feeling in her chest that was given the name Kakashi.

* * *

Loved your reviews! Keep them up damnit! 


	4. Uncomfortable alone

Chapter 4

The party had ended around three in the morning, although by that time most guest were too tired to care. And in a matter of minutes since Sakura had announced the end of her party, the room was completely empty except for herself, Tezuka and of course Kakashi, who hadn't totally broke his watchful gaze with the pink haired women, even if he had the skill so that everyone else thought otherwise. Including Sakura herself.

It had been a terribly boring and dragged out party for the silver haired Jounin. Due to the fact that he hated these kind of things but most of all thanks to the fact that while on mission he had turned down two drinks which had been offered to him. And he could ready, ready go for a hard stretch drink right now.

He had caught Sakura occasionally glancing in his direction numerous times throughout the evening, even if she didn't know that he had. He had to attempt it, though. She was taking this situation a whole lot differently then he thought she would. What had he thought she would do? Well, lets just say that it wouldn't have been pretty and leave it like that. But this reaction wasn't much better in his opinion. She was almost taking this too well. And those glances which he had saw her give him. What was up with that, he didn't know. Nor did he really want to find out. Frankly he didn't care.

Tezuka, Kakashi could from the minute they had met, that the green haired man hated him. The occasional sharp glance which Kakashi had gotten whenever Sakura would turn from his for that brief second, was a dead giveaway.

"Well, I should get going. I've got a meeting with Mr. Youshi this afternoon." Tezuka yawned, drawing a hand to his mouth in the process.

"Okay, well I got the limo waiting in the back entrance. You can use that, I can call Ryo to pick me up." Sakura suggested.

"Okay then, I'll see you when I see you." Tezuka leaned in in an attempt to give her a kiss but stopped suddenly. Drawing back when a thought crossed his mind." Tre, where are you staying, I could give you a ride home." The green haired man turned to the man standing in the corner. Tre blinked and turned his gaze to face Tezuka upon being spoken too, acting as if he hadn't been listening when he had been.

"Thank you for the offer but I have my own ride. Besides, things need to be cleaned up here still." Kakashi replied .Tezuka bit the bottom of his lips, but manged to remain unmoved.

"Very well."He smiled, turning to Sakura, who had been watching the interaction. "Goodnight sweetheart."His hand drew into the hair at the back of hear head, and pulled her lips to clash against his in a more then good night jester. Sakura gasped in surprise, her eyes widened for a second. Before shutting them and allowing herself to kiss him back.

Kakashi yawned big, as his hands stuffed lazily into his pockets.

Breaking apart, Tezuka turned on his heels and moved down the staircase at out the front door.

Sakura rubbed her tired eyes with her hand, running her fingers through her hair to push the pink strands from her face.

Tezuka was acting different. That kiss wasn't how he usually acted while out in public. Even if Kakashi had been the only one present. Wait, Kakashi. Was it his sudden presence which was responsible for Tezuka's behavior?

Without really knowing it, her gaze had shifted from the floor at her feet to Kakashi as he leaned slouching against to far wall. His eyes focused at the empty bottom floor below. Other then the eyes and missing mask, he hadn't changed at all. Visually anyway. But personality wise, she knew that he defiantly wasn't anywhere near the man that used to be her sensei all those many long years ago. He was different. Narrowing her eyes, she let them leave his form and once more fall to her feet.

"Where are you staying?"She whispered, knowing that he could no doubt hear her.

"Your place."He replied. Sakura's gaze shot sharply over to him upon hearing his curt reply. Still, his eyes didn't move from the stop on the bottom floor where they were the last time she gained to courage to look at him.

Sakura's eyes narrowed once again as she turned her body so that her back now faced him, lifting a hand to her lips so that she could nibble on her nails. As she always did when her nerves got the better of her.

She didn't know why she was surprised to hear that he was staying with her. She had always been expecting him to, he was her bodyguard after all. But still, it scared her more to hear it come from his mouth.

"Lets go." Kakashi murmured just loud enough so that he could be heard over the biting of nails which Sakura engaged in. Pushing himself off the wall, he walked across the floor towards the exit door at the back of the building.

Sakura glanced towards him as he passed. Lowering her head when in the process of walking, Kakashi's scent filled her senses, she swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. But soon after regaining her composure, she forced her feet to move as she followed behind him. Making sure to keep her distant, making sure that she couldn't smell his scent any more. She couldn't... it was too hard.

* * *

The car ride home was for lack of a better word, uncomfortable. Neither parties spoke, it was amazing that they actually managed to breath. Sakura's chest felt heavy and constricted, and Kakashi's wasn't doing so well either.

He was strict upon keeping his seemingly lazily emotionless eyes tuned out the window. Very careful to not even acknowledge the tense women that sat across from his in the furnished limo. Forcing himself to keep his complete concentration even when her bare leg would occasionally knock against his with each passing bump. Acting as if the contact had never even happened.

Sakura didn't take the contact so smoothly as he had. Her leg immediately jarring away from his in a split second upon contact, inhaling a sharp intake of breath to calm herself. Her gaze, otherwise, just stared unfocused on the shaded wall to her right. Her heart beating so fast that she feared that he would hear. She had never been claustrophobic, but she sure as hell was now. With him this close.

Hating the silence, as she always did, she decided to speak up. Clearing her throat first, to somehow get his attention. It worked as she instantly felt his body go tense immediately.

"How's...Ino...doing?" Her voice was small, and was quieted by the noises outside the car all around them.

"Fine." Kakashi gave his usual curt response, completely void of any emotion nor feeling that could giver Sakura some sort of clue as to what was running through his mind at the moment.

Nodding her head softly, she turned her gaze away from him and back to the floor, as she held the hems of her dress to keep it from riding up and showing off anything. Once again the car fell into a death silence.

"And. Naruto?"She whispered again, not looking away from the floor.

"Fine."Once again she reserved the bare minimum of what she could get as a reply. He obviously didn't want to talk. But she didn't stop.

"How about Sasu-"

"If you want to know how they're doing so badly, why don't you just call them yourself." He answered rather coldly and dismissively. Sakura's heart skipped a beat as his words hit her like a kunai which he himself had thrown. This time the silence brought a much deeper and thick sense of comfortableness, as she shut her eyes. She didn't speak again.

* * *

The limo finally pulled up to a large black gate after at least a good ten minutes of travel from the hall.

Even through the darkness, Kakashi was able to see a rather huge house in the distance through his window. The roof seeming to collide with the sky above, as well as property that stretched further then he could make out. This was where she lives?

The gates opened with the press of a button from the driver, and the car once more took off down the personal street towards the front steps of the estate. The streetlights set up all down the road lit up upon reaching them, until the car pulled up along the tall steps up to the front door.

Sakura inwardly breathed a small sense of relieve to finally be granted her desired to leave this confined car. As the driver opened the door to the car, Sakura hastedly was the fist to leave. Touching down to the cobble stones beneath her steleto shoes, she ran her hands to straighten her dress which had been slightly wrinkled.

The wind which had been felt up on the roof that night once more to to it's job in tossing her hair around madly, as she tried to pull it behind her ears.

Sakura heard the light footsteps signaling Kakashi's exit of the limo after her, and the slamming of the door after him. Inhaling a large breath she started up the staircase, really not wanting to be stuck as close to him as she had been forced to in the car.

Kakashi paused a deliberate second as to put a comforting distance between her and himself, before following her up the stairs slowly.

Sakura turned the key and opened the door to the large house, stepping into the darkness which filled the inside. Entering but leaving the door open so that her, well unwanted guest, could enter after her.

The house was, as if had always remianed,very large but lonely. Only she lived there, with the occasional maids which could be spotted once and a while around the house, and with Tezuka visiting whenever he could. But their scheduales made that difficult to say the least. In fact, tonight was the first time she had saw him in a month.

Kakashi glanced around the darkness, which was lit up when the light switch had been turned on by the pink haired women. With this, he was able to perfectly see his surroundings. The large foyer was titled with marble stones, leading to a large white staircase that curved to connect with the floor above their heads.

Sakura bent down to slip off her shoes , feeling the relaxing sensation of having her bare feet connect with the cool tiles below. Looking up, she saw that Kakashi had began to walk forward towards the staircase beginning.

"Do you have any luggage?" She asked,her voice echoing through the silent house.

"It's upstairs already."He replied.

"What?" She stuttered. He paused to glance up the stairs, before taking the first step of many.

"The bag is already in the room."

Sakura, swallowed. He was here already? So did that mean that he had already searched the house for weapons, security, things like that? Running a head threw her hair, she paused to notice that her hands were shaking. Frowning slightly, she clenched her hands into a tight fist before following after him.

* * *

Kakashi turned the knob to a room at the end of the hallway, entering and flicking on the light afterwards.

Sakura stopping at the top of the steps to watch him.

"I guess that's your room?" She whispered. His room. Maybe she didn't want him to have a room in her house.

"Mmm"Was his response. Sakura sighed.

"How long is this shit going to take?"She snapped, sudden anger taking her over. Although the emotion came out of no where, she felt her cheeks redding with frustration. She wanted him out of her house...out of her life. Just as she had planned three years ago, although it was obvious that the plan had failed.

"As long as it takes."He calmly replied. Sakura turned her gaze away.

"Whatever." She mumbled and walked away, down the hall into her own room.

Once he heard the door slam before her, he hunched over the bed with a heavily sigh. Letting his silver hair fall messy over his face. He remained there for a second before reaching and shutting the door to his room.

Twisting his body, he sank to the bed, and let his face fall into his hands.

This was going to be much, much more difficult then he hoped it would.

Sorry about the delay, well it really wasn't a delay cause lot of other authers take a hell of a lot longer to update..But anywho I'm rambling, so Please review!


	5. The famous life and sharp questions

Awakening to a rhythmitic banging noise that pounded into her already aching head, Sakura's eyes clenched tightly shut as she rolled over to onto her stomach. The air was cold on her bare leg that had fallen from the comfort and warmth of the big blanket, sending shivers down the rest of her body as she clenched the blanket around her closer to her body. Exhaling a deep breath, she relaxed her tense eyes before finding the power in her weakened state to finally open them. The room was dark with the thick curtains drawned together, but cracks in the material allowed little spots of light from outside shine into the room.

Frowning slightly, she glanced at her left. The clock read 10:00, way to early for her taste. But with the annoying banging continuing, Sakura found the possibility of going back to sleep just a sweet dream.

So, she reluctantly rolled off her stomach to her back. Laying there, under the warmth of the covers, she glanced around the large room.

'What the hell is that banging!'She thought.

Suddenly a knock at her door startled her, causing her to leap out of bed, tossing the covers aside in the process.

"Get up. It's 10:00."Came a deep husky voice through the door. Sakura blinked. But in a quick motion grabbed the covers and pulled them up around her bare chest as if in fear that Kakashi had possibly gained the ability to look through doors with the eye of his. Although she doubted that he could have, the sharigen couldn't really do that... could it?

But she had completely forgotten that she had gained a new house mate last night. The memories of the party yesterday flooded back into her mind, making her groan heavily as her hands covered her face groggily.

"Wake up."The voice came more stern.

"ARGH! I'm up already, ok!" She cried, before falling back to the mattress with a huff. If she couldn't sleep then maybe she could just lay there at least.

"That means now!"Sakura growled in protest but pushed herself, letting her long bare legs hang over the side of the tall bed.

* * *

Tiredly rubbing her eye with the back of her hand, Sakura glanced around the hallway as she sluggishly made her way towards the staircase leading downstairs. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a paper stuck to the window beside her head. Pausing, she turned to study it. It was a Jutsu of some sort, that she knew.

"Kakashi..."She called, making her way down the hallway. Tieing up her housecoat as she descended down the stairs, she was meet with a cluster of scrolls and some of her belongings at the bottom of the stairs. Looking around, Kakashi was no where to be seen.

"Kakashi?"She called out, catching a shadow swiftly land on the front porch just outside the door. Sakura watched as the front door opened and the silver haired shinobi stepped through into the house.

She felt as if he didn't even acknowledge her presence as he shut the door, as turned his attention to reading another scroll which he held out in front of him. She crossed her arms across her chest.

"What the hell are you doing?" She yawned. "What's with all this junk?"

He didn't reply as he set the scroll on the floor and knelt to check something in the corner. Sakura's patience felt as if it was already wearing very thin, and with it being only the morning she didn't think that it would last throughout the rest of the day. Expecially if he keeps insisting on being so damn stubborn.

Sighing, she stepped on the first floor and made her way towards where he knelt.

Kakashi sensed her moving closer, and struggled to surpress the desire to move away. And made himself stay where he was, if this is the way things have to be then he can't change them. A Shinobi's life is to strictly complete any mission and the orders that goes with it. Dispit how much he hated it.

"Are you putting up a seal?"She inquired, leaning over to further inspect the scroll. Making Kakashi immediately tense up with the closness of her chest against his back. So close. Closer then he thought or hoped that they would ever be again. No, it was to close.

"Yes."He gave the simple answer which she was expecting, and moved from where she stood. Making it seem as if he was meaning to check on another seal on the other door, but hiding the reason of just being way to uncomfortable. Why did she do that? Kakashi feared that the answer would never be clear to him upon her motives or just what was running through her mind.

Sakura's chest tightened as she come to her senses. Why did she stand that close to him? That scent, he just always smelt so...

She mentally shook her head to snap away from her thoughts. She can't think that way. Those feeling are gone, they can't come back. They can't be as they were.

"I'm going back to bed.."She mumbled, acting as if nothing had happened. Turning on her heals, she moved towards the stairs.

"No."Came his objection. Pausing before she could reach the stairs, she glanced over in his direction.

"Why not?"She sighed.

"Because I need to go into town. And you have to come too."He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his blank pants. Sakura turned her gaze away when he turned to face her for the first time that morning.

"I can't go into town, people tend to gather around me when I'm out in public. Asking for authgraphs and things like that." Sakura whispered. "It drawns to much attention." Kakashi didn't react.

"Wear a desguise."He shrugged in off, and made his way to the kitchen.

Sakura sighed as her hand came up to run through her matted hair. She needed a shower, having missed having on last night due to the hour which she had returned from the party.

So, she let the disagreement rest for the moment as she began to walk lazily back up towards her room.

Slipping the housecoat off her back, she let the material fall to the titled floor of her bedroom bathroom. Moving to the shower stationed in the corner, she reached in to turn the fauset on. And after a moment, cold water shot out from the shower head.

Upon feeling the cold water morph into warm, she stepped inside and drew the curtans closed as to keep the water from spraying out onto the floor.

The warm water fell onto her skin into streams of small rivers as it ratianted down from her bare shoulders, over her stomach, then melting into the water which had already fallen to the floor before running into the drain by her feet.

Shutting her eyes to enjoy the heat and cleaning nature which the water brought, she lifted her chin to let the stream fall directly on her face.

It was weird thought. Being naked, when that man just below her on the first level. Even though she knew that it wasn't as if he could see her, and he wasn't close to her. But the thought that he was indeed inside the house with her made her feel weird.

He has seen her naked before, as she has seen him. But not for three years, not since...

'No, just forget about it,' She told herself. 'Stop thinking about the past, it's behind you now... and there's no way to go back. Sure it's scary to know that he's in the house, especially after thinking that you'd never see him again. But you have to get control of yourself, start acting smartly. You can handle this, it is, after all, just for a little while. Then he'll be gone again.' She hung her head and reached up to rest a hand on the wall before her.

"But what if I don't want him to go?"She found herself whispering to the nobodies around her.

* * *

Kakashi walked out the door first, swarveying the area that surrounded the house. Nothing that would stand as a enemy, or anything of that nature. Not that he could determine with all certainty if there was something to be considered an enemy. This was the first mission which he didn't know all the details, and he didn't like it in the least.

Sakura let out a slight groan as she stepped around him, realizing that he didn't intend to move out of her way anytime soon.

"I really don't know what the hell there is that i need to be protected from. Look around you, next to the few crazy fans, no one is trying to kill me or hurt me. So mind telling me just why it is that you need to be here?" She asked,obviously in an irritated mood this morning. The rude awakining which she had receieved early had to be the cause of it. As Kakashi remembered, the women had always loved her sleep and being woken from it without her own control had a tendecny of making her one unhappy camper. Shaking his head slightly to jar himself back to the present, upon realizing where his mind had drifted.

Kakashi moved down the steps, commently ignoring her question. Sakura turned to watch him leave, her chest tightening with anger. 'Damn him'. Locking up the house she ran down the steps after him, well not running. Briskly walking, would much sooner describe her motion, due to the fact that her none-running footwear wouldn't allow it.

"Look, you have to talk with me sooner or later. You can't ignore me forever." Sakura challenged once catching up with him.

"I'm not ignoring you."Kakashi sighed, calmly as if with not a care in the world.

"Then why don't you give me answers? I would like to know who you are required to protect me from, or why is it that absolutly need to be here. You still haven't told me the details-"

"Like I said." Kakashi interuppted, momentarily silenceing her."I'm not ignoring you, I just choose not to answer questions which you are not required to know." He gave the reply in turn hoping for the conversation to die, whither away into a place where he wasn't next to her. Somewhere where unwanted conversations go when they are dead.

Sakura frowned and turned her gaze away, focusing on the floor by her feet. Finding slight comfort in the fact that neither ones' eyes looked upon the others.

He didn't speak. And she didn't speak. Not until they reached the gate on the edge of the property.

"You have to move off from the gate, the alarm will go off if you don't." Sakura warned. Kakashi did as she told without argument, moving away to a safe distance from the walls, waiting until she could properly set the alarm without interferance.

"All done."She replied, walking towards the dirt pathway leading away from the house that served as the only way to get back into the city. It was a special feature, to have this much privacy. In fact this was a main reason why she had bought the house in the first place. Wanting the privacy which the house provided being located way out in the country side.

"I don't see why we had to walk, this is why I pay my driver." Sakura mumbled, crossing her arms across her chest. These high heels where definatly not meant for these kinds of turf.

"You're giving him a break." Kakashi shrugged it off. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, to keep from fidgeting with anything.

"But I don't pay him for breaks, if I wanted to walk then I wouldn't have a driver now would I."

"Just shut up and walk." Kakashi snapped, growing quite tired of her whining.

Sakura flinched slightly upon hearing his harsh order, and turned her head to stare off to her right into the fields which surrounded the road. Her crossed arms tightening as her shoulders tensed up.

Kakashi had seen her flinch, and for a second felt guilt run threw his heart. Maybe that was alittle harsh, but...Maybe..he wanted her to feel hurt. Just for a second make her feel as he had felt for three very long years. The feeling as if love was not in his vocabulary.

But he soon the feeling faded, as all of his feeling eventually did. And he resumed his silent nature and continued the walk down the path. Thinking of how much he hated he fact that his precious mask was forced to remain inside his bag for the duration of the mission. The wind blowing softly on his bar skin was an alien feeling, one that he would have perfered to keep that way. In fact he couldn't remember the last time when he had not worn the mask out in public for a second, let alone a whole day and counting. The action of placing that material over his face became a simple rutiene over the years. And without he felt...naked.

Sakura's pace had slowed soon after the comment made by her 'guardien', putting a gap between him and herself. A much welcomed gap for, what she would think, both of them. Because Kakashi didn't protest, or give any reaction at all in fact. She didn't like being beside him, the silence that always fell around them make her uneasy and uncomfortable. She had tried to start conversations on many occasions but each one seemed to shut down by the silver haired man before they could really start. He just didn't want to talk with her. But she didn't blame him.

* * *

After a good hour of walking, the town where Kakashi had first seen Sakura's picture came into view just down the road. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief, her feet were killing her and she couldn't stand one more second with that man.

Kakashi's gaze turned to see the pink haired women pick up speed as she quick walked past him toward the town. He, on the other hand, chose to keep his relaxed pace, and let the girl move on ahead.

The town's residents were already up and on with their day by the time Kakashi and Sakura had entered the gates. On each side of them, stands were set up with vegtables and clothing upon other things.

The street where the two had ventured down smelt of strange scents fitting for so many different foods and merchandise. Laughing came as a light into Kakashi's not-so-good mood., as it always had. Laughter was the best medican, as he always said.

But at Sakura's ends, the soft murrmers that her hearing picked up all around her made her nervous. Though she wore a black sweeter, with the hood up covering her hair and a pair of thick sunglasses. She feared the the people could see past her desguse. Swallowing, she turned back to look for Kakashi. Seeing him staring at one stand inparticular, she quickly moved to the stand beside his.

"Well, hello there younge lady.."Sakura jumped upon hearing the voice which startled her. Sharply turning her gaze towards where it had come from, she say an oldman smiling at her from behind the counter.

"It's a beautiful day, no?"He smiled. Sakura blinked.

"Yes."She whispered.

"Say, I think I know you from somewhere."The old man replied. Sakura's gaze turned to the floor.

"No, you must be mistaken-"

"But the feeling is so strong, maybe you know my sister? Are you friends with her?"The old man suggested, but Sakura shook her head.

"Like I said, we don't-"Sakura gasped as a hand yanked down her hood, letting her pink hair flow out into the sunrays from the sky above.

* * *

"6.50 please.."The salesman requested. Kakashi reached into his pocket, careful not to drop the fresh bag of food which he had just purchased, and withdrew a 10 dollar bill.

"Here you are." Kakashi said handing it to the man over the counter, watching as the man withdrew the appropriate change from within his own pocket. And handed it back into Kakashi's hand.

"Now those are the best vegetables in all of Grass country, spread the word."The salesman smiled. Kakashi's eye turned up into a curve, as he always used to do before.

"I know, I only buy from your stand after all."He replied.

"Well, nice of you to say so young man, have a nice day."

"You too." Kakashi turned with the intention of heading down the room, but a large crowd huddled by the stand beside where he stood caught his attention. What it was about he couldn't tell through the constantly increasing body mass as people from all over the street moved to join the gathering.

He paused to look around over the many heads that cluttered the street, Sakura was no longer in his sight.

'Damnit,'He cursed.'Where did she go?'

"Hey,"Kakashi stuck out his arm to stop a women who was passing him."What's going on?"

"It's Sakura Hoku! She's here!"The women replied and quickly moved around him to join the gathering mass.

Kakashi sighed. He should have known. Settling the bag in against his chest, his hands were free to to do a series of seals, rapid in a quick motion as to not let anyone see.

"Leave me alone!"She cried, but her voice dulled to a whisper over the screaming swarm of people that huddled around her. She angrily smacked away the many hands that reached out to touch her, but still a few succeeded in running up across her body and furiously grabbing at her clothing.

"Wait, look!" Suddenly a voice shouted over the crowd. "It's Sakura!"

The hands that touched her left her body as the crowed curiously turned to see.

"The real one?"Murrmers ran through the crowd as a pink haired women, surrounded by big heavy bodyguards, ran through the streets away from the crowd.

Lost in confusion, most people started running after her, thinking that the real Sakura must have lots of bodyguards, when the other one didn't have any.

For the few that remained behind, once they had turned around, the one that had captured them was gone.

* * *

Kakashi leapt threw the town, the pink haired women curled in a tight shaking mass in his arms.

He feared that his rapidly beating heart, entered the womens ears. She was after all pressed into his chest against his heart. But somehow, the trembling of her body told him that she didn't care. What had happened in the town had shook her up. So much that Kakashi didn't think she even knew that he was carrying her.

If she had, she wouldn't be so open as to letting him carry her. It was something that he would have never done unless absolutely necessary. As it had been., drawing too much attention to them was something that he couldn't allow. Especially when he wasn't sure of whom to protect her from.

The vegetable bag was held by the clenched teeth which was the only free option as a means of carrying them.

She smelt of a sweet aroma that came unfamiliar to him. One that he couldn't hope to describe even if he wanted to. But, in a briskly rush, his mind returned into power over his body and Sakura's smell had been forced from his senses.

'Damnit, Kakashi.'He mentally swore.' Why does it always come back to her smell with you! Leave it in the past...where it belongs. It's for the best.'He repeated the last thought for the duration of the relatively short journey back to her mansion.

Blinking in slight surprise, his smooth motions in the run came to a stop upon seeing a black limo stationed outside the front steps of Sakura's home. He focused on a tall man standing outside on the steps, seeing the green hair, Kakashi immediately knew it was Tezuka.

Glancing down at the women who he still held in his arms briefly, he moved towards the gate. Juggling the women, he was able to get a free hand somewhat. He punched in the code from memory as well as that which he had studied when Sakura did it earlier.

Upon hearing the large gates swing open with small squeaky noises from the un-oiled joints, Tezuka looked up from his cigarette to see the two enter.

"Sakura?"He called out worried, seeing her being carried immediately brought the dreaded though that something had happened. Stomping out the fag on the steps before running down to meet them half way.

"What happened?"He asked, running his hands through Sakura's hair once he had met them. Kakashi paused, and quickly motioned for the green haired man to take the women from him, which he did.

"There was a small incident in the town, she's just a little shookin up." Kakashi replied, taking the bag from his mouth before he spoke.

"Sakura, are you okay?"Tezuka whispered.

"Kakashi?"She whispered. Both men blinked, slightly taken aback upon her choice of names to speak.

Tezuka found himself glancing questionably at the silver haired man before him.

Kakashi could only shrug it off as that she was out of it. And didn't know of whom she spoke too. Although, he did find himself turning his gaze away from the mans sharp eyes.

"No, it's me Tezuka, honey. Come on I'll take you inside."Turning on his heels he made his way into the house.

* * *

Kakashi bent back in his chair, letting his hands come to rest behind his head. The incident earlier with Sakura and Tezuka still puzzled him somewhat. Why she had called out for him and not the boyfriend which held her, would be forever unknown he feared.

'It was nothing,'He told himself.'She was shookin up, her mind was elsewhere...'

'But wherever her mind was at that moment, you were there."Countered Inner Kakashi.'Come on, aren't you a little curious as to why she thought of you in her moment of need?'

'It wasn't a moment of need, she just got crowded by some fans, that's all. And no, I really don't care why it was she called me.' Kakashi replied.

'Maybe she-'

'Shut up, I'm not talking to myself anymore!'

"Tre?"A voice snapped him from his inner conversation, and abruptly brought his concentration back to the real world. His gaze came to focus on Tezuka, who had come to stand before him during his inner exchange of thoughts.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?"Kakashi straightened his posture to return back into proper sit, letting his hands fall neatly into his lap.

"You were frowning, is something the matter?"Tezuka inquired.

"Uh,"Kakashi shook his head,"No, I was...uh.. just thinking to myself. It's nothing."

"Alright, well, I just came to ask you if you were going to join us to diner."The green haired man asked. His brown eyes focused completely into Kakashi's blue ones, almost as if in a very challenging nature. Something like measuring him up. Kakashi chose to ignore it.

"Well, I wasn't planning on it. There are things i need to-" Tezuka interrupted.

"Nonsense, I insist that you do. Take as a small interview if you will."Kakashi remained silent for a second, his gaze returning to the mans before him.

"Very well."He replied. Tezuka smiled, not for a second hiding his true emotions.

"Then it's settled, diner is in ten."With that, he turned and left.

Kakashi bent forward to lean his forearms against his knees. Letting out a heavy sigh of release.

'Shit,'He thought. His hope of dodging spending his afternoon around Sakura going down the drain. He had planned on slipping out when she was asleep to get on with the other part of the mission. He still had to worry about those rogue ninjas and Omi corp.

"Don't worry about him.."Kakashi looked from the floor at the maid who had entered the kitchen."He's really actually a good guy, I've never seen him act that way to another. You must have done something quite bad to get on his bad side." She smiled.

"I wasn't aware that I had done anything actually. Call me crazy, but I smell of unneeded feelings of jealousy."Kakashi replied, letting his eyes fall to the floor again.

"He's hiding it very well, his true feelings I mean. Smiling and all."

"Yeah but those who hid behind a smile are the ones to watch out for. Often being the ones skilled at deceiving." Kakashi whispered.

"Yes, I suppose you're right."

* * *

Kakashi took his seat at the large dining room table. Sakura, who looked a little better from earlier, took her seat at the head of the table. And Tezuka sat across from Kakashi.

Maids entered the room with plates of food, and neatly placed them before each of the three. One small side plate of salad, the main dish of some sort of steak toped with mushrooms and potatoes.

After that, the maids returned with wine and poured everyone a glass.

To Kakashi, who had only eaten small pre-packaged meals during the mission, looked to the proper food as heaven. With his mouth slightly watering, he folded the napkin neatly in his lap, before picking up the fork and knife and skillfully cutting through the steak. Picking up the piece he put it to his lips but paused. Looking up, he saw Tezuka's brown eyes staring at him.

"You have unusually bright blue eyes, not to mention your unique hair."Tezuka asked, his hands folded against his lips, his food not yet touched. Kakashi set the fork and the food down. "Eyes that do not match the nature of your hair. Ones with light hair tend to have dark eyes where I come from."  
"Where are you from?"

"Konoha." Kakashi replied. "It's a small village within the country fire." Sakura didn't react, instead just continued staring at her food in silence.

"I see. What did you say you're last name was?"

"Sheng." Kakashi answered without missing a beat.

"Victorious, I believe."

"Yes." The green haired man nodded his head. Kakashi, thinking that the conversation had ended, picked up his fork once more and successfully got the desired food into his mouth. Shutting his eyes for a second upon melting into the taste of the meat.

"Good?" Tezuka asked. Kakashi glanced up and him.

"Yes."He replied, finishing the chewing what was involved. "Very good."

Tezuka picked up his utinciles and cut himself a small piece, placing it his mouth he groaned slightly.

"Absolutely beautiful taste. Sakura, you haven't eaten anything."He replied upon noticing her silent nature that afternoon.

Upon hearing her name she blinked out of her trance like state and looked up from her untouched food.

"Huh?"She asked. "Did, you say something?"Tezuka raised an eyebrow as he swallowed the first mouthful.

"You've been asking strangely since you got back from town. Is anything the matter?"He inquired.

"No, every thing's fine. I'm just not really that hungry, that's all."She replied.

"Alright."Tezuka sighed, and returned to his food.

The two ate in silence, while Sakura just stared at her food for a minute.

"Tre, Do you mind if I ask you a rather personal question?" Tezuka suddenly asked, setting his fork down, and once again folding his hands. Kakashi swallowed his food and set the fork down.

'Damnit. Here it comes..' "Yes, what is it?"Kakashi asked.

"Do you find Sakura attractive?"He asked in an innocent matter.

The question caught both Sakura and Kakashi off guards, but Sakura was the one to react.

"TEZUKA!"She screamed in outrage, glaring at him.

"What? It's an innocent question, and I would like to know the answer."Tezuka turned his gaze back to Kakashi, and the two engaged in a staring contest.

"It's has no importance, and you are very rude to a-"

"No."Kakashi spoke up with a curt response. Both Tezuka and Sakura turned to look at his in mild surprise.

"No what?"Tezuka asked.

"No, I do not find Ms. Hoku attractive. Not in the least." Kakashi calmly replied.

Sakura swallowed and looked away.

"Not in the least? She is the top model, and yet you feel nothing?"Tezuka inquired.

"I did not take this job because she's a top model, it's just a job. Which I happen to be the best at. Feeling mean nothing."Kakashi shut his eyes, and he turned back to his diner.

"..I see."Tezuka nodded, seeming letting the conversation rest, much to Sakura relief. Until..

"Are you gay?"Tezuka asked.

"TEZUKA!"She screamed.

"Just because I don't find your girlfriend attractive, then I must be gay.That's incredably ignorant or you, don't you think?" Kakashi challanged back, his eyes narrowed in pity.

"You are right, Mr.Sheng. That was out of line, and I apologize."Tezuka replied.

"Accepted."Kakashi sighed."Now, lets eat."His eye curved up into a smile while he ate.

* * *

Thanx for the reviews! Do it again and I will personally give each of you cookies! 


	6. Forgivness,Nightmares, and Fights

Next Installment! Hope ya'll love it! (I think you will, TeeHee )

* * *

"How are you feeling?"

The question came as an odd request in word form.. She suddenly began to think over the reasons why he wanted to know, something that she never did before, but felt the urge to now. Was it because he really worried about her health and well being? Or was it just a conversation starter, something along the lines of 'Nice weather today?' Who gives a shit about the weather, the real desire was hidden underneath the bullshit on top. But wasn't everything?

"Fine."She lied, in a mild tone which didn't help in the convincing stages. She wasn't find though, not at all. Not with Kakashi just behind a few walls. "Why did you say that?" She snapped, sudden courage showing it's face from an unknown source.

The tall man paused his re-entry into where she sat on the bed from the bathroom. He blinked before proceeding with unbuttoning his black suit jacket and making his way towards her.

"Say what?" He asked. "I'm not allowed to ask how you're doing?"

"Not that."She sigh impatietly and glancing over her shoulder to the approaching man for a second. "What you said at diner. About if Kakashi was attracted to me, why did you say it?" She played with the hem of her silk nightgown.

Tezuka's light sigh entered her ears.

"Oh that."

"Yes,that."She replied, finally turning around. Spinning her body so that she could still sit but look at him. Her eyes were frowned and she glarred at him.

"I was interested?" He shrugged it off, sliding the free jacket off his shoulders and tossing it over the bed.

"That's complete bullshit and you know it!" She snapped. "It was your pride and ego in it's purest form. You were jealous."She spat.

"He obviously is attracted to you or he wouldn't have said no."Tezuka replied in a calm nature despite Sakura's obvious anger.

"He's not attracted to me! But even if he was, way does that scare you? I know for a fact that other girls would give anything to fuck you, and I deal with it perfectly. I don't go up to them with questions that are so blunt."

"What makes you more angry? The fact that I was slightly, very slightly Jealous, or that he said no to my question?" Tezuka torn his gaze away from hers to finish unbuttoning his cuffs before starting on his shirt.

Sakura's mouth remained parted for a second with her lose of words. Her mind rapidly searching for that perfect comback but with no success.

"Well?"He frowned, upon hearing her silence.

"Nobody has made he feel as cheap as you have tonight."She whispered, her eyes narrowed at his down turned gaze. "Speaking with 'my' emploie as if I wasn't even there. As if I was some mindless blow up dall with two lonely men arguing over who gets the first fuck!"She hissed and pushed herself up from the bed and moved towards the window in a huff.

Tezuka instantly stopped his prior actions and looked up to stared at her back. His eyes narrowing in guilt as he let out a little breath.

Sakura felt his hands gently course over her bare biceps with a smooth motion. She felt his body press into hers ans well as his lips kiss her on the neck.

"You're right."His breath grazed her skin."I was out of line tonight, and I'm sorry."His lips moved to the other side of her neck, kissing her skin upon getting there. "I would never think those things of you, and I feel like shit making you think otherwise. Can you forgive me?"His hands turned her around so that she came to face him. Her head was hung low and her eyes focused elsewhere. "Sakura?"His finger came to gently lift her chin. "Can you forgive me?"

Sakura swallowed, giving a sigh.

"Yes."She whispered, allowing his arms to embrace her upon hearing her response.

"Thank you."He whispered.

Sakura let her eyes drift shut against his embrace.

* * *

Kakashi effortlessly crept up to the front door without making so much as a sound. Sakura and Tezuba had long since gone to bed after the little argument which they thought was kept between the two, when it truth Kakashi had unwillingly heard every word that was said.

Sometimes his Ninja training really did come as an inconvience.

The incident as dinner that evening really did put an even thicker abnosphere in the house, making every thing so much more comfortable then before, if possible. Tezuba had caught his off guard with that question, but Kakashi had handled it well, in his opinion.

He chose not the think of it, nor analyse it to any extent further then his comfort range. It was better that way.

Instead he had decided that this would be a good time to do some spying around Omi corp. To keep either of the too from becoming supious, he had kept a clone sleeping in his bed. Further more, his real idenity was masked underneath a skilled desguise of Tezuba.

After momentarily disabling the seal that he himself had sent up around the house, his masked form slipped out the front door.

* * *

The Next Day

Kakashi slipped inside the house silently. Reversing the disgusing jutsu that he had placed upon himself last night, he once again reactivated the seal on the house.

The night had been a small success in that he was able to get a good idea of the perimetre around the Omi Corp. estate.

Flashback

It was impossible to miss the huge Omi building in the distance with all or most of the lights still turned on from inside. And it periced the darkness which Kakashi couldn't have seen through without them.

Silently he moved next to a bush a short distance away. Crutching down behind it, he carefully glanced around it, quickly ducking behind his cover again when a flashlight directed next to him.

Hearing muffled talking from a few feet away and knowing that there were two security guards in his presence, he kept completely hidden. Wanting to instead study their actions and movements, rather then taking the offensive.

Performing a quick that used almost no chakra, he placed his hands to the ground in front of him and listened.

The jutsu took effect and without the two knowing any different, their conversation became completely clear to the hidden jounin.

"..so i said, shut the fuck up bitch!"The two began to laugh at the seemingly idiotic joke which one had just told.

"Jesus it's freezing out here! I don't understand why the company even needs to have 24 hour security."

On replyed, with a shiver.

"Yeah, I mean why do they need protection? Who the hell is interested in breaking into a immigration office?"A small chuckled ended his sentence.

Kakashi listened carefully. An Immigrantion office, is that what Omi corp. is? He didn't know, Keiichi,The head of council, never gave him any information on the company. But upon hearing the conversation everything became clear. Who else had the complete power to succesfully immigrant Runaway ninja's as well as keep them hidden, then an establishment who dealt with letting people into the country in the first place? Well, that answered the what of Kakashi's questions. But the why and how was leave unanswered for the time being.

Looking to his watch over his wrist, he read the time as 5:00 am. Time to be getting back to his other mission. Letting his hands leave the ground, and the Jutsu put to an end. The voices once again became faded and mummbled.

He waited until hearing the footsteps faded away, before vanishing.

End Flashback

His hands come up to seal of the Ox, then a couple other ones until the jutsu he placed on the building prior, once again took effects.

Sighing, he ran a hand through his messy silver hair, then moved to rub his mildly tired eyes.

"Tre?"The voice made his turn to casually,see Tezuka descending down the stairs."You up already? It's only 7:00 in the morning."His smile indecated that the little agrument with Sakura last night had been all cleared up, and the outcome was in his favour.

"I'm a morning person."Kakashi shrugged it off. Lie. In truth he hated mornings. But hopefully the green haired man hadn't seen him slip in.

"Ah, same as me. Sakura on the other hand could sleep till 5:00 in the afternoon if I let her."He chuckled softly, his voice the same as that of a person who indeed just woke up. Rasp and groggily even if a smile played on their face as Tezuka had now. Yet Kakashi's expression remained emotionless and void of any interest in what the man had to say. His head hurt, the Sharigen was acting up again and he fought a continious urge to press a firm palm against it as he had done in the past.

"Hey, no hard feeling for yesterday. I had a hard day, not in the right state of mind, unfortunaly. I just wish to apologize once again for what was said."Tezuka ,now standing before the silver haired man, held out his hand in a well mannored jestor of apology. Kakashi glanced down briefy at the hand stuck out infront of him.

"Accepted."Kakashi replied and clasped his hand into Tezuka's.

"Good to hear. Because I have a feeling that you're going to be a great help to both me and Sakura." Kakashi didn't reply, instead nodded in head slightly in thanks, before withdrawing his hand back to his pocket.

"Well, I'd better be off. A busy day starts at 8."Tezuka smiled before walking around Kakashi and exiting through the front door.

In that instant, the jounin was glad he made the right decision to make the seal only active when someone enters the house.

Sighing, he turned his lazy gaze towards the stairs, guessing that it was about time the women upstairs was woken up.

* * *

Tapping his knuck against the door three times, he leaned his mouth closer to the surface and spoke.

"It's 7:00, time to get up.".Waiting for a reply, his tone sharpened and his voice grew in volume. "That means now." Still no response. Sighing heavily, he leaned back from the surface and repeated the series of knocks."Dammit,get up." He growled, pressing his palm deep into the sharigen as the increasing pain and uncomfortablness doubled ten fold with his frustration.

"Sakura!" He shouted. 'Stupid girl.'He mentally cursed. Coming to a desicion upon his inner battle as to go in or not, he chose to turn away from the door and proceed down the hallway.

He wasn't in the mood to deal with this shit today.

Grunting, he fell against the wall with an ungracful thud when a strange sensation shot threw his palm, almost as if he had been electricuted. His normal eye squeezed shut as his free hand whipped up to cover his numb hand. He managed to remain on his feet with the help of the wall, but at that moment the floor came as a welcomed option.

Slowly and with the passing of a minute, the sudden pain that had caught his off guard and had successfully brought the copy ninja,well almost to his knees, became nothing but a bad memory. Un-clenching his eyes, he blinked a few times until his once blurred vision cleared up. Letting one hand drop from his sharigen, he pushed himself up so that he no longer was dependent on the wall.

"What the hell was that?"He breathed. What ever it was, he dreaded that it would only get worse in time.

"No, get away!" Kakashi was startled by the cry which echoed through the door from inside. His gaze, no matter how blurred and tired it was, sharply turned to the door over his shoulder.

The first thing to shoot threw his mind was Enemy. Which immediately put his senses into motion as he briskly turned on his heals and took off in a sprit towards the door. Reaching his destination in a matter of seconds, his shoulder slammed into the surface which successfully snapped the door open and collided with the wall next to it.

His kunai drawn, clenching the weapon he stood ready for an attack. But none came. His eyes darting around the room, he found nothing out of the ordinary. Without using the sharigen which was apparently out of commission for the time being, he didn't sense anything strange or anyone who could be hiding out of view.

"Why did you scream?" His voice was rasp, and harsh as his previous pain seemed to rough his voice.

There was no answer. At least one that Kakashi could understand. But her response came as a mumble followed by a whimper. He moved towards the bed. His weapon still drawn and in no way had he let his guard down for a second. He trusted his senses but just to be on the safe side, he chose to stay alert.

Reaching her side he swallowed the lump which had suddenly and without warning lodged its' self in Kakashi's throat. His maskless face turning a deep red color as the hot blush rose to his face.

There in bed, was Sakura. The covers tossed and left down at her feet, successfully revealing her thin and really short night gown. Which, at this moment, was folded up around her hips, her long thin legs completely bare and in the open. She was turned somewhat on her side, enough as to be facing Kakashi who stood beside her bed. Without realizing it, Kakashi's eyes had moved from her legs up to her chest. Seeing that, even thought they had somehow managed to remain covered, the material hung lower enough for Kakashi to see more then he had meant to.

Forcing his wondering eyes to 'wonder' off her body, he came open her face. Raising his eyebrows in surprise when he saw soft tears running from her clenched eyes, down her cheek and falling on her pillow. Soft whimpers escaped her slightly parted lips.

Kakashi suddenly shock his heads roughly from side to side to snap his mind from those thoughts. And reached out to gently shake her shoulder.

"Hey, wake up." He whispered, but the pink haired women jarred his body away from his touch, crying out..

"No, don't touch me! Get away!" Kakashi's hand graced her breasts as she quickly shifted to her side, obviously in a dream state. Fighting back the intense blush that threatened to show it's face, he reached across the distance between them to roughly shake her shoulder again.

"Sakura!" He shouted.

Watching as her body stopped shaking instantly, and her breathing deepen and increase in speed.

"Hey.." He whispered. Her wide open gaze sharply glanced over her shoulder to see the mix-matched eyes that stared down at her.

"Ka-kakashi..?" She whispered in a soft voice.

The man's heart skipped a beat as her frightened eyes softend upon catching his gaze.

Then watching as she glanced down to see the state in which her nightgown was in and squeaked in embarrassment. Pushing herself up quickly, she furiously tried to pull the gown's hem further down then it was currently. At which time Kakashi's hand dropped from her shoulder. The deepest blush to ever be felt appearing on her face as her wide eyes desperately tried to focus anywhere but in his eyes.

"W-what are you d-doing here?" She cried.

"You were having a nightmare." He mumbled. "It's time to get up." He said briskly just wanting to get out of that room as fast as humanly possible, and quickly turned to leave.

"Kakashi…"Her call stopped him before her could get out. He swallowed and glanced over his shoulder but didn't speak.

"…your contact it gone. I can see the Sharigen." She whispered. He blinked and reached a hand up to touch his left eye, before leaving without another word.

Once he was gone, Sakura fell back onto the bed with a thud. That was the most embarrassing thing which she had ever been put thought. The look on his face, still fresh in her mind.

But one thing stuck with her more then ever. The fact that he was blushing.

'Did he blush because he's still attracted to me?' She couldn't help thinking.

* * *

Kakashi leaned casually up against the wall next to the door, awaiting Sakura to get ready and meet him downstairs. That was almost 10 minuites ago. Impatience unbecoming of a shinobi began to rise up in him. He hating waiting for her...he was tired of waiting for her.

Finally he hear the soft footsteps above his head, they moved towards the stairs and soon Kakashi's once again blue eyes rested upon her figure as she decended. His eyebrow raised slightly as he saw what she had on.

Sakura wore a white halter top that was conviently slit down the centre enough to reveal the outline of her breasts but not too much as to show off anything inappropriate. The top was tight around her waist, as her matching white pants clung to her legs.

He blinked as to break the trance he had been captured in for that moment.

"Hurry up."He ordered, turning his gaze away casully as to apear without a care in the world.

Sakura's eyes flickered down as she approached him. Bending down to pick up the pair of tanned sandles, from beside Kakashi's feet. She slipped them on and re-adjested her handbag that was slung over her shoulder, and to tossed her long hair back off her shoulders.

Kakashi walked out the front door, without saying another word. Leaving Sakura to follow.

Sakura fought the urge to glance over at the man who sat across from her in the limo. Knowing that if she did he, being a jounin would know. Why did she want to look at him? Why did she still get that flutter of the heart whenever she caught a look at his face? It wasn't the first time that she saw his features with the clothe, she had seen it in he most intimate situations. But that was so long ago, that reaction was supposed to stay there. She wanted it to stay there, but at the same time... To look at that face again after all this time...

She lost the battle and allowed her green eyes to fall over him. His arms were crossed and his one leg slung over his other, his eyes were thankfully shut. His silver hair sucessfully coverd the scar over his left eye, and with his desguise, he didn't even look like a jounin or a even a ninja.

She found her eyes drifting down to his mouth. She remember that his lips were always so soft, even though one who think that a shinobis lips would be chapped. She remebered the touch...remebered the feeling of-

"What?"His almost snapped question, jarred her away from her memory's. Her green eyes shot up from what had once occupied her attention to the blue eyes that stared, no almost glarred,down at her.

She fought a deep blush at the fact that he had caught her staring at his face. Sharply turning her attention away as desperatly focused on something else.

"Nothing."She surprised herself with the emotionless reply she gave.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed on her gaze that was furiously glarring down the seatbelt buckle next to her.

'Was that a blush?' He thought. But why... why is she blushing. He frowned and turned his gaze to to the other side of the car. A strange sence of anger could be felt in his heart. 'Why does she bring back these emotions, leave them alone, let the remain in the past! She doesn't love me and i don't love her...Then why does it still hurt to say so?'

"Um...Kakashi.."Her voice was small, and still her eyes refused to move from the seatbelt. He glanced over at her, seeing her nervously scratching at the seat on either side of her. Quickly moving his eyes away, he merely titled his head in her direction all the while remaining silent.

She took this as a sign to continue.

"I...uh.What i want to say is...um.."He heard her inhale a sharp breathe."I'm sorry for this morning."She muttered, a red tint to her cheeks finally pushing it's way through after a heated inner battle to not to.

He swallowed the reoccuring lump that once again formed in his throat upon remembering that morning. His head turned away.

"Fine."He shrugged it off cooly. Silence once again fell over the car, for a moment anyway.

"Well.."She replyed, glancing over at him as if expecting something. He sees this out of the corner of his eye.

"Well, what?"He sighed. Sakura frowned briefly

"Well, where's your apology?" She raised both eyebrows in question.

"It's none exsistant.."He answered in a dismissing tone, expecting the end of the conversation. But unfortunatly one wouldn't come so easily, nor quietly.

"What are you talking about? You're the one who bardged into my room uninvited. It's you're own fault if you saw me naked.."She crossed her arms when a heated blush burned her cheeks,as she briskly turned away from his.

"You weren't naked."He snapped, fighting his own blush.'Everything would be much much worse if he had..'

"Well close enough."She huffed the image of the night gown flashing into her mind. "Next time knock or something..."She mumbled under her breathe.

"You screaming out of the blue meant enemy, but next time I won't bother."He replyed casually.

"I never asked you to in the first place!"She gave a short laugh as her gaze sharply turned to him. " I don't need a night in shining armor, so don't think you have to be." She once again turned her gaze away.

"I'm not a Knight in shining armor, I'm a ninja and the only reason I'm here right now is that I'm paid to be. So don't get it mixed up."He shut his eyes and slouched down in the seat, slipping his feet onto the seat across from him.

"Fuck you."She hissed and shifted further away from his, not before angirly smacking his feet off the seat.

* * *

The car pulled up to an seemingly abandoned building, deep in the heart of the large city.

Sakura exited the car and immediatly walked into the front door, leaving Kakashi to follow at his one much less quick pace.

But thinks aren't always as they appear, and this proved it. Upon entering the front door, Kakashi was meet by a fully furnished and ageless interior. Pausing when he entered the large one room building, he took the time to fully asses the insides.

Voices brought his gaze from the cieling back down to the ground level. He saw cameras set up in a certain spot near the centre of the room. Many people were randomly going on with duties which needed to be done, but his attention was immediatly drawn to the pink haired women. She was taking with a man, a young man. With short raven hair and considerable height. Only coming up to Sakura's shoulders.

Moving deeper into the room, from where he stood at the door, he was constantly dodging the many people who brushed in front of him carriying tools to which his knowledge didn't extend to.

"..should get going, Sakura. It's late in the day as it is, and makeup and wordrob will take no less then three hours. Who is this?" Kakashi's gaze was met with deep black ones much similer to Sasukes, when the man's attention came to focus on the silver haired man.

"Tre Sheng. I'm Miss. Hoku's assistant." Kakashi replyed upon coming face to face with the boy, extending a jestering handshake, which he accepted and clasped.

"I see. So, you're the one takes the blame for Sakura's lateness."He smiled welcomingly and broke the handshake. Kakashi's eyes curved up into a smile.

"Ah, well I guess you could say that neither of us are early risers."As he rubbed the back of his head. "To tell you the truth, we've been friends since we were childern and unfortunatly her habits have rubbed off on me."

"Yes, I've been good friend with Sakura for many years myself. But not as long as you have Tre. Tell me, I'm dying to know what Sakura was like as a child." The boy smiled brightly.

"Sorry, but I don't even know myself that much so I don't expect him to." Sakura interupped. "Besides, I really don't think Tre cares all that much about the past, Mesi. So about we get this show on the road."Sakura smiled.

"Yes, I suppose you're right. Makeup is that booth over there." Mesi replyed, as Sakura walked off.

"Well,"He said with a sigh.",Would you like to talk as I set up?"Mesi jestered towards the cameras, and with a second of hesitation, Kakashi followed.

* * *


	7. Anger, Pain and Razers

"So, Tre.." Mesi's voice caused the trance like state which Kakashi unknowingly found himself in, and immediately turned a cleverly disguised lazy eye from Sakura back to address the man who had addressed him first.

"Hmm."He asked, confused when the onyx haired man smiled that big tooth grin of his and shook his head as if knowing something that Kakashi didn't have the pleasure to. As he returned to unwrapping the cord from the huge lighting stand."What?" He finally grew curious.

"How long did you say you knew Sakura?" Glancing questioning from his actions to meet the blue eyes that stared down at him. Kakashi frowned and glanced up at the ceiling, for a moment.

"A very long time."He whispered. Another chuckle came from the man beside him, causing Kakashi to bring his attention back.

"Forgive my bluntness, but a long time is quite long enough to develop feelings."Kakashi frowned, and rolled his eyes with a sigh.

"Everyone seems to assume that I'm in love with her, but it couldn't be further from the truth." Kakashi replied, his voice dark and not bothering to hide any of the annoyance which he felt. His eyes drifting down at his hands which hang loosely over his thighs.

Mesi's smile faded into a smirk, as his eyes drifted shut for a moment.

"Is that so?" He whispered. Kakashi didn't reply. "Is that why you're gaze always seems to drift in her direction upon discussing the matter, almost as if they act on their own accord?" Mesi moved beside Kakashi's chair to plug the cord into the station.

"Like I said, I've known Sakura for a long time, and if I think of her it's only behalf on that fact." Kakashi replied calmly, handling the topic which inside made him highly uncomfortable, in a way that made him proud of himself. He doesn't love her, that was dead three years ago. Maybe sooner on her behalf...But seeing her didn't make them suddenly beat live in his body . They remained dead, and that could ever, and will ever change.

"So you do think of her?"His smirk once again changed into that toothy grin which almost made Kakashi wince, mainly due to the fact that this man thought this situation to be humorous.

"Don't you have something you could-"Kakashi was interrupted when Mesi replied.

"Hai, hai."He laughed whole heartedly, proving to aggravate the man more. "Forgive my intrusion, Tre." He rose to his feet and slung an arm over Kakashi's shoulder before the silver haired man could protest. "I think we're going to be friends!"His dark onyx eyes curved up into smile and he laughed.

Strange, Kakashi thought. This man... he was the spitting image of Sasuke, yet possessed the over cheerful personality of Naruto. To have that combination... Kakashi doubted he could handle this with that cool nature he usual showed.

"Get off of me."His eye brow twitched as he slipped out of the chair, causing Mesi to fall into where he once sat with a very ungraceful thud.

Deciding that he could no long tolerate Mesi, Kakashi moved into a chair on the apposite side of the large screen wall. It was childish, that he was well aware of. If those feeling are in the past , as he kept telling himself, then why does it bother him to speak of it?

' There's still the hoping that it isn't over.' Inner Kakashi suggested.

'Shut up. Why does all this shit have to come up now?' He mentally cried in frustration.

'Do you really want me to answer that, Because I don't think you'll like it...'

'Shut up. Why am I talking to myself?'

Shaking the mental argument with himself from his mind, he ran a hand threw his hair with a sigh. Damn Inner Kakashi. Since when does everything have to revolve around her? Why can't everything just be as simple as it was back in Konoha? He knew why...

Sakura ruined any chance for simple life. He should hate her for all the shit she's put him through... but can't he?

His gaze drifted over to the small gathering of women around the set up desk just a short distance across from him. His eyes came to focus on the pink haired women who had been the cause of the fight he had had with himself a short time ago. Strange people surround her, combing her hair and spraying god knows what into the long pink strands, while others applied a glossy lip product to her lips which were parted slightly when the women asked for her to. As well, another women dug her makeup brush into the dark eye shadow and ran it repeatedly over Sakura's shut eyes until it became enough in her opinion.

All the while Sakura remained slouched lazily in the chair, completely still. Kakashi even had trouble seeing her breathing. He felt his body tense up suddenly and without reason when Sakura's green eyes slowly drifted open. They looked so...

Sad.

'Why, did she look like that?' Kakashi couldn't help but wonder. He blinked when she lifted her gaze to the women who stood before her, straightening her posture so the women hands could run all over her chest with a shiny body lotion.

"Are we all done?"Mesi asked from across the room.

"Yes." One women replied and spun Sakura's chair around so the pink haired women could get up.

Tightly clenching the front of her long housecoat as to not let anything show, she made her way over to the screen.

Kakashi couldn't help thinking how he didn't like this...he didn't like her like this. The makeup seemed to sting her already beautiful features, but it did make her green eyes brilliantly burst from the darkness. Even when they lifted to catch with Kakashi's, he saw that strange sadness which he had seen before.

"Alright, bring in the guys!"Mesi smiled. That made Kakashi's gaze lift from Sakura's in surprise.

He saw two men walk into the room. Each dressed in respective suits as if going to a party, but Kakashi knew their presence here was a different matter.

Sakura's chest began to settle from it's once tense nature when she had caught Kakashi looking at her. He had looked at her weird. As it he was searching for something.. deep within. It scared her for some reason...did she really want him looking inside of her like that? She didn't know. But knowing that he was looking...gave her something hadn't felt in such a very long time.

Happiness.

But the entrance of the other models had broken their contact and he had once again returned to acting as if she wasn't even there. She preferred it when he didn't do that.

"Who are they?"She heard Kakashi ask. Turning her gaze back towards him.

Mesi paused his camera setup to blink in confusion, then smiled.

"These are my other models who are going to be in the picture as well. I apologize if I failed to inform you, Tre." Kakashi swallowed.

"I'm sorry...Please continue."He replied.

"Alright, Sakura, if you will."Mesi asked.

Kakashi's eyes sharply turned to see Sakura's grip on the front of her housecoat loosen as she shrugged the material to the floor. His breathe caught.

She stood there in front of all these people wearing only a hot red lace push up bra, giving her cleavage unbelievable gravity defining powers. Matching underwear went along with it. If you could call it underwear. The lace material left almost nothing to the imagination, with the booty cut nature. Up over her legs was smooth leggings which snapped onto the edges of her underwear.

His eyes went wide with shock... who was he kidding? She looked beautiful, that heavenly body of hers made his mouth gape with astonishment... it always had.

His eyes followed her as she stepped on the white flooring , and sat down.

"Okay I want you,"Mesi gestured to one of the men standing around him. ".To lay up by her head. Now Sakura just lay back." Sakura nodded and lay on her back. The blond man came up to and lay down on her arm, when she lifted her limps above her head.

Kakashi's felt his heart race for some reason.

"Now you go lay on her other side, sort of on an angle down by her waist."

Kakashi watched tensely as the brown haired man did as told and positioned himself at her waist. dammit_ Kakashi, relax. Why are you so tense?_ He frowned.

"Okay looking good, but I need more contact, you rest your hand around her thigh.." Mesi suggested. Kakashi watched as Sakura's leg lifted without hesitation, so the blond mans hand could clasp her thigh, dangerously close to her underwear. As well as rested his other hand over her shoulder.

The brown haired man's hand came up to rest gently over her stomach.

"Excellent."Mesi smiled, generally pleased with the way this photo was turning out.

Kakashi watched Sakura intently, her lazily eyes trained on Mesi who stood above of her with his camera, as her hands fell gracefully loose at her head.

Many photos were taken, but Sakura remained carelessly unaware of the mans hands running up and down of her body.

Kakashi was different though. His heart beat raced with a strange emotion. Was it jealousy? He didn't care. All that focused on his mind was the fact that that one mans hand was traveling far to high up on Sakura's thigh.

Suddenly a response came from the silent women

"Hey, stop running your greasy hands up my leg!" Sakura hissed, and stubbornly tried to kick his hand so that it moved away from the direction where it was heading. But his contact remained and tighten.

"Come on.. you know you like it." He whispered and shifted closer to her body.

"Stop it!" She shouted in a panic. Catching everybody's attention. The other man immediately shifted away in surprise. "Get off of me! Get off!" She kept screaming as hot tears stun her eyes. 'Oh god' She mentally screamed, the sense of being trapped once again radiating through her body. She needed to get away, get free. So she sat up and frantically slapped at the mans hand while her legs kicked madly at him.

Suddenly, she felt the mans hands ripped from her. Opening her eyes in surprise. She was just in time to see Kakashi lift the man off the ground in death grip to his collar. Sakura's eyes widened when she saw the dangerous glare which Kakashi held in his eyes. Swearing that the redness of the sharigen had begun to burn through the fake contacts which were in place to hide his identity.

Then in an instant, Kakashi sent the man flying easily, until he hit the ground a few feet away.

"KAKASHI!" Sakura screamed before she even realized to whom she had called out to."KAKASHI STOP!"

Gasps echoed throughout the room from all the bye standers who watched as Kakashi moved towards the startled man, ignoring the cries to stop from the pink haired women and raise a fist fully intending to do some damage.

But a soft hand roughly clenched over his raise fist, and yanked his body off the man who coward beneath.

"Stop it Kakashi, I said STOP!" Sakura screamed when he tried to yank his hand away. Sakura moved to knell between the two men and roughly pushed on his body until he backed up. Then repeatedly moved to pound her fists into his chest.

Kakashi's movements stopped as she attacked him, shocked that she was doing so. His glanced softened for an instant as he looked down at her.

"What the hell is wrong with you man!" The blond man cried and scrambled off and ran out the door.

"What is wrong with you Kakashi! You have no right-"She gasped when she was thrown over a bold shoulder.

Kakashi ignored the looks he got from everyone around as he slung Sakura's half naked body over his shoulder and walked out the front door.

"Let me go!"She screamed and slammed her angry fists into his back. She kept up this demand all the way down the hallway and outside where the black limo waited. "Put me down you bastard!"

Ignoring her, he opened the door to the limo and tossed her in, following after.

Sakura let out a very unladylike grunt as she hit the seat, sitting up to see Kakashi slam the door shut and calmly sit across from her.

Her eyes flared with an anger that she really didn't know why she felt but that didn't stop her from wanting to hit him.

"YOU ASSHOLE!" Sakura screamed and lunged at him, her hands trying to find their way into slapping his face but they were caught by his hands in a rough clasp. Effectively stopping the attack. She shifted to straddle his lap as the struggling to free her hands, a cry of frustration exiting her mouth when she realized just how useless her attacks were on a jounin.

"Sakura stop it!" He demanded, his voice loud and stern, As he glared into her green eyes that stood inches away from his face. Feeling the panting breathes that left her mouth and brushed against his skin.

"Fuck you!" She gathered the spit in her mouth and spit it into his face.

Before she knew what had happen, her back roughly hit the floor in between the two seats with an unladylike like grunt, as Kakashi's heavy knees pressed into her thighs. Her hands roughly stretched above her head, his hands wrapped so tightly around her wrists that she felt like they were going to break. They rough nature of the floor scratching her back and hands.

She hissed in pain. Struggling against the hold he had on her but to no success.

"I said stop it!"He hissed, his voice so dark that it scared her. He was angry, very angry.

"GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!"She cried out in pain as Kakashi's knees pressed harder into her thighs.

"Don't swear at me!" He demanded. Sakura get a curt laugh.

"Don't swear?... FUCK YOU!" She screamed. "You piece of shit don't act like you're my father! You're nothing to me!" She laughed, not really aware of exactly what she was saying but got an unsatisfying sense of pride when she saw his eye twist at her words.

Kakashi's eyes glared down at her with such intensity that she felt he was actually going to hit her.

"Are you afraid I'm going to hit you?" He asked. Sakura glared back at him, surprised that he asked that. Sure she was afraid, never seeing this man quite this angry, but there was no way in hell he was going to get that satisfaction.

"I'm not afraid."She whispered.

"Really? Cause you look like it." Kakashi's tone angered her more.

"Well I'm not!" She cried. "Get off of me!" She felt his body rise from hers, with one final press of the knee. She cried out again before turning on her side. She lay there, on the dirty floor. Her chest rising and falling frantically trying to catch her breath, and for the pain in her legs to stop.

She lay there for all the ride home, in silence.

* * *

Sakura burst through the door of her home. The door swinging to clash with the wall behind it.

"I never want to see you again!" She yelled and limped away towards the stairs.

"Whatever."He sighed, not really caring either way. He entered the house and shut the door calmly.

Turning to silently watch her limp her way up the stairs. Guilt came as a wave over him as she hissed in pain at her thighs.

"Maybe I went a little to far.."He thought. "Even so.. she shouldn't be in too much pain. She's just faking it."He sighed and walked into the kitchen, hands casually stuffed in his pockets.

Acting as if nothing happened always seemed to make him feel better. Even if it was a very childish thing to do.

* * *

Slamming the door once she entered the room, Sakura immediately fell to the floor with an ungraceful thud. Liquid stung her eyes, as her face heated into a burst of tears that rolled door her face and onto the floor just below it. Her fists grabbed at the thin carpet and made a small rash appear on her skin from doing so, her body trembling on the floor as she let the sobs take over.

She had always hated to cry, even to herself. Making her feel weak compared to Sasuke and Naruto who never cried. It's the way it's always been. But she didn't care anymore. Nothing mattered anymore.

Sniffling back the runny nose she pushed herself off the floor to stand on unsteady legs. Furiously whipping away the tears she fumbled her way towards the bathroom.

Shutting the door once inside, and locking it for good measure.

Her eyes darting around frantically in search for something, rummaging through the many baskets on the bathroom counter and slapping them to the ground when she found nothing.

Reaching up to a jewelery box on the top shelf over the sink she set it down on the counter and tore the inside objects apart until she found it.

Throwing the rest of the junk to the floor with the rest of what once sat on her counter, she looked down at the object which she held in her hand.

A razer.

The metal reflected the light which seeped through the window and she couldn't help thinking...

"Beautiful."She whispered sadly and clenched it in her hand until she felt the blade pierce her palm.

Hot tears forming in her eyes she looked up to the reflection in the mirror.

How disgusting...

Moving to sit on the bath tub rim she focused all of her pain into the blood that ran from her wrist and dripped to the floor beside her feet.

Feeling unnaturally relieved at the sensation, and hating herself for feeling it.

* * *

Sorry for the dark nature at the end there, but this is what I really wanted Sakura's character to be like in this section. Love all the reviews, keep em coming. 


	8. The Pro and Cons of Breathing

The Pros and Cons of Breathing

Sakura woke with a start as a cold breeze swept over the room and made soft contact with her exposed upper body. Shivering and rubbing her goosebumps she blinked, slightly confused for a second at the rude awaking she had received from a deep sleep.

Cursing, her half asleep eyes glanced across the room for the source of the chill. Falling over the sight of the wide open window that allowed the wind to carelessly toss around her curtains as if in anger.

Sighing deeply at her misfortunes she reluctantly rose from the comfort of her bed. Letting her bare feet touch the floor first she stood on lazily legs and sluggishly moved towards the source of her anger and aggravation.

Furiously rubbing her arms in an attempt to warm her skin, she reached past the curtains that whipped around her body, and pushed the window shut with an unremorseful slam. Making sure to lock it for good measure, she ran a hand through her tangled hair.

Slowly she turned around, wanting to just curle back into the warmth of her nice comfy...

Suddenly she gasped. As her eyes had turned around, she had immediately looked upon a dark masked man who stood right in front of her.

Falling back against the wall in surprise, her legs gave out and she fell to the floor before the mans feet with a thud.

Green eyes , wide with terror, gazed up at the man whose face was completely covered with a thin material, leaving only his sharp brown eyes to glare down at her. His body covered in shadows as if the eyes came out of darkness, but the smell of blood and steel filled her nose and made it burn.

"Who-who are you?"She stuttered, all other words failing to be thought of at that moment. Her mind went blank when the presence didn't answer, instead pulled out a kunai. The metal drew Sakura's gaze to the weapon and her chest tightened so much she felt as if it was going to burst. Her eyes drifted lazily narrow as her gaze turned blank once again.

That feeling consumed her. The same feeling which she felt when first meeting Kakashi on the roof that night.

With one step, the presence came to tower over her. Sakura didn't even see the hand which descended slowly down to her,...

Nor did she see it stop.

The presence's gaze turned sharply to the other being that had somehow, without his knowing, entered the room and now had a death grip on his forearm. Wincing as the hold felt as if ready at any moment to snap the flesh from bone.

Suddenly, the arm was twisted skillfully around to snap at the angle behind the presence's back. With a kick to the arm, the presence was thrown across the bedroom, tumbling painfully until he regained his footing.

Sakura's blank expression snapped into reality and her gaze turned slowly back up to see the man standing before her. The well defined back that faced her, although scared as it was, seemed so beautiful to her in this light.

"Ka-kakashi?" She whispered, regaining her voice.

"Stay back." Came his order, expecting it to be followed She stared in surprise at his bare shirtless back. He came. Why...Why did her come to save her? Even after all she said to him... everything she said...he still came to help her.

The thought made Sakura's eyes water with fresh tears as she dropped her head in shame. She didn't deserve him...not now. Not after everything he's done.

Kakashi's attention focused completely at the matter at hand. Staring down the man before him, watching him grasp his injury, as well as studying his features.

No headband, and no sign of any sort of country logo. Obviously, being a runaway ninja that Keiichi talked about, Kakashi slowly took a step so that his body now stood between the ninja and Sakura who still remained silent on the floor behind him.

The presence smirked with a small laugh, before once standing to his feet, letting the arm which once clenched his wound fall to his side.

"Impressive." He replied. "I didn't even know you entered the room."

"It's no point in trying to hide your partner in the ceiling, I take it as an insult." Once Kakashi had spoke the words, another dark figure leapt gracefully from the ceiling to knell by his partners feet.

"We expect nothing less from the copy-ninja Hatake Kakashi...Still...do not take us lightly." The other said, his voice giving some sort of warning.

"So you know my name, huh?" Kakashi sighed. "I'm afraid that you cannot leave alive now that you know. The rules, you understand?"

"Actually,I really don't understand the sudden secrecy when your identity has been well known from the beginning of your little missions." The presence replied. Kakashi's eye brow raised in slight surprise.

"Is that so?" He whispered. How did they know? How did anyone know? Was it Tezuka? Or Sakura?

Whatever it doesn't matter now, everything was to be different from this point on. Now that secrecy wasn't on his side, the matters in which he has to use to protect Sakura and get information of Omi corp. must be taken with much care.

"My name and features are that well known even here in Grass?"

"Truth is, without the mask, and to the untrained eye you don't look like the jounin of Leaf." The other confirmed.

"So you're here for the woman, I figure." Kakashi jestered to Sakura behind him, with a tilt of his head.

"That's right. And if you stay out of this, we might consider letting you live." They both smirked behind there masks. Kakashi did the same,however.

"I'm afraid I can't let you complete your mission. Even if my life is on the line, as you say." Kakashi

shrugged in a sarcastic manner. His motive to get the two to show their egos,as everyone had when others doubted their ability straight to their face. And, just as he had planned, both sets of eyes glared daggers into Kakashis', the smirks fading from their faces.

"You cocky motherfucker." The presence spat, only serving to increase Kakashi's amused mood.

"Even the copy ninja can't take on the two of us."

"Try me." The serious side of Kakashi's personally coming through, growing tired of this battle of words.

" You first, then you're little girlfriend!" The other stated.

With that both parties vanished in a blink of an eye. Kakashi's eye flashed upon knowing exactly where both where. And as the kicks shot out from the darkness of the bedroom, Kakashi's forearms were placed to block the attack.

Both snarled as his hands switched to grab each ankle on either sides of him. And with a spin, tossed one presence and the other back to the other side of the room.

Dodging the kunai which were skillfully aimed at him, and grabbing on from mid air for his own. He blocked a stray attack that had been directed at Sakura. Who, he didn't even sense move from her spot on the floor just a short distance away from him.

But he heard her gasp at the near hit.

Next came a head on attack, and Kakashi's kunai came up to block the opposing ones as they aimed for his head.

"Attacking directly will do nothing."He lectured, as if lecturing team seven when it existed so very long ago.

Suddenly his eyes turned sharply at the moving figure beside him.

'Shadow clone Justsu' He thought briskly 'But not good enough..'

Sakura's gaze turned towards the masked man lunging at her, eyes widened in surprise when Kakashi suddenly appeared in her defense and pushed the attacker away from where she sat.

Watching in amazement, although she's seen him in action before, as Kakashi snapped the kunai from the death grip of the hand which held it, and contact the side of the head with a powerful kick. Clashing with the clone Kakashi as well as the other two, all but the real ones were left standing.

The two rose to their feet once more after the damage had been inflicted, leaving both men slightly leaning to the side upon having injuries to the body.

They charged once again, but each attack was blocked as Kakashi's hands shoved every fist aimed at him. Ducking and moving gracefully around the kicks, all the while ending any attempt to attack Sakura, who still remained behind him against the wall.

Falling to a knees, his foot swiped along to successfully trip both ninjas. Hearing both fall to the floor with a thud.

Quickly rising to his feet, he positioned himself to launch the two kunai he held in his grip...

But his eye was shot through with the sharp pain, which he had felt the other day. Grunting in terrible pain, he felt his grip loosen against his will and the kunais' fall to the floor at his feet.

'dammit!' He cursed, as his palm frantically slammed into the socket to somehow ease the pain.

"Kakashi..."Sakura whispered, her face painted with worry, as the once strong man now looked as if he had been severely injured. But her voice small, as if afraid that he would get angry with her for interfering. Or even talking to him, she thought sadly.

The laugher of the two ninjas filled the once silence room.

"Whatever is the matter, Copy-ninja?" The presence mused.

Kakashi grunted in pain as his head one eye lifted to meet the ones looking back at him. He watched through blurry eyes as both ninjas rose to their feet. 'Did they do something to my eye?' He thought. 'But.. I didn't see them do anything... but the sharigen has been acting weird now-a-days. Maybe they somehow..'

"What did you do?" Kakashi demanded, when the constant ache forced his knees to give out and he fell to a kneel on the floor.

"Your sharigen... it hurts terribly, doesn't it?" The other asked with a smile as they both approached the silver haired jounin as if knowing that he was currently unable to fight back.

Kakashi just glared up at the two, faintly aware that the women behind slowly and in a hesitating matter, rose from the floor. Her breathing was quick, as if he could hear her heart beating rapidly inside her chest, but her breathes coming out in a short harsh matter. But she wasn't in pain, he was positive that he had blocked the attacks. It was as if she feared something.

"Feels as if your head it about to explode through your left eye, huh?" They laughed. "Don't worry, you're not going to die just quite yet. But the mission must be a success. So... ladies first as it goes." Kakashi grunted in pain as he tried to shift closer to Sakura, but found it impossible at the moment, and only served to stumble clumsily a short distance, before crying out in pain again.

The presence bent down and picked up the kunai which lay disguarded next to Kakashi. Before moving towards Sakura, who's eyes were completely trained on Kakashi's tense body. Not once did she even look to see the man approach.

"Kakashi.."She whispered in fear, as he practically fell over, but stubbornly stopped his descent with his arm, even if it trembled madly.

"Run!" He cried, startling her with a flinch.

The man now towered over her again, this time, without any hero to save her from her death.

But her green eyes didn't even seem to notice this, which caused the man to blink in confusion. Seeing that she was completely captured by his trembling body.

"Don't worry." He laughed. " He won't die just yet. That would far to easy."

"RUN DANMIT!" He practically screamed in the dead silent room.

Sakura flinched as the cold edge of the blade grazed her neck, her eyes for the first time turning up to her attacker.

Disgusted at his smile.

"Come on, at least cry for me. Beg for your life, something like that." The presence smirked. Sakura's gaze fell unfocused on Kakashi once more.

The presence found this terrible annoying.

"STOP LOOKING AT HIM! AREN'T YOU GOING TO-"

"Everybody has to die."Sakura interrupted. Her voice dark and very uncharacteristic.

The presence blinked in confusion.

"So be it." He shrugged and raised the kunai from her neck.

Bringing it down as it cut easily through the air...he was surprised when the blade cut through a different body.

"Copy-Ninja?"He whispered.

Sakura's eyes blinked back to reality in a startle. She was meet but Kakashi's silver hair directly in her face, the ends brushing against her face, tickling to her skin but going un-noticed.

"Kakashi?"She whispered. Gasping when she saw red blood drip down his back from the wound which the knife had inflicted and remained lodged inside his flesh.

The silver haired man had somehow managed to slip between the presence and Sakura but in result got a direct hit with the weapon with had been initially aimed for her.

He had saved her. Taken the hit when that knife was meant for her. No. He...can't die. Not for her.

"Not for me!"She screamed with everything she had.

"Shut up." Came the rasp reply from the man who stood before her. Her eyes whipped open and she stared at him in surprise, but her thoughts came out as a lose for words.

"Kakashi?"She felt tears run down her face as Kakashi's body straightened with a grunt. Blue locked with green when he looked at her. She saw the pain hidden stubbornly behind his angry stare. Was he angry with her? "Kakashi?" She gently and slowly reached out to touch his arm which hung loosely next to him. His skin was very warm to touch, and the thought of a fever scared her. Her heart aching at the sight of his wound, and the emotions on his face.

"dammit! Die you son of a bitch!" The other cried and lunged the jounin, which successfully snapped the silence between the two.

Kakashi's gaze turned sharply towards the attacker, his mind sent running a mile a minute, judging his speed, his movements.

"You're in the way!" He shouted suddenly and with a rough push, tossed Sakura towards the wall to side. Her back colliding with the hard surface with a thud, as she gripped the wall in order to remain on her feet.

Kakashi leaned back as the kunai flew past him, then without a second to spare, drew a fist back and with everything he had punched the attack right in the side of the head.

Bone cracked upon impact, as Kakashi grabbed the man by the throat and with an angry/frustrated cry pushed him up against the wall, with an unmerciful bang that shook the house.

Suddenly reaching beside his to grab the face of the presence as he lunged at him. Thrusting him too, up to the wall next to his partner.

The sharigen burnt bright threw yet another broken contact, frightening the man who gazed in it threw a pain filled face, as he frantically tried to pry Kakashi's iron grip off his neck.

The deadly weapon was sent spinning upon will, without the usual anaylization of the jounin as to just what the effect will take of his aching eye and with a matter of seconds his opponent was uncouncious.

Letting him slip to the floor, Kakashi's attention turned to the other attacker.

"You were playing with your own life when you decided to take on me, little boy." Kakashi hissed, his voice dark and very angry.

"Ple-please don't kill me!"He cried through Kakashi's hand which muffled his words.. "I'll do anything!"

"Unfortunately I only need one of you to interagate..." The man didn't even have time to think, before Kakashi plunged the kunai deep into the side of the mans head. Killing him instantly.

Sakura gasped in horror upon watching the mans terrified eyes go blank immediately, as his body feel limp under Kakashi's grip. The silver haired man released the dead prisoner, and he slumped to the floor, the knife still implanted sternly into the mans skull.

Only Kakashi's heavy breathing filled the room, as the silence once again took over when the noise faded. Sakura watched, wide eyed, as his bare shoulders and chest rose and fell with his inhales and exhales. Noticing that the knife was still lodged firmly into his back, and his blood flowed freely down his back covering his skin in a dark red that only deepened with the absence of light. Squeezing his eyes shut, his palm thrusted deep into his eye socket once more.

"dammit.."He muttered to himself. But at least he felt the pain dull to a much less pain.

Out of the corner of his opened eye, he saw Sakura take a small step forward.

"Don't," He ordered curtly, successfully stopping her approach. "It's fine." He sighed.

The pink haired women didn't believe him, he knew that. But she did listen to him, which he was grateful for. In fact it scared him a little due to the fact that she never listened to him. "It's fine."He repeated, surprising himself a little which how softly his words now came out. "It happens sometimes."

Sakura nodded softly to herself, turning her gaze down to the hem of the short nightgown she was told, by Kakashi,to never wear again.

"What about the wound to your back...Is it fine too?"She whispered, glancing up to see his reaction. But of course, even if he had a reaction, the supreme skill of masking his emotions had not been faltered even after all those years.

"...Yes..."He replied, and turned towards the door.

But unfortunately, the exit he so desired to use was next to the purpose of wanting to leave in the first place. And with a gently yet defiantly hand, she grabbed his arm, pausing his motions.

That was it. The contact rule was broken with such an innocent jesture. Her skin was touching his without any harsh emotions or ill will as there had been in the car earlier. Sending shivers down his spine and making his heart race as if desperately trying to caught up with the absence of the beating he had not lost. He hated this feeling, this emotion he received whenever she touched him, whether it be by his wish or his worse nightmare.

Helplessness.

"Please.."Came her whisper in the form of a sharp stab to his heart. "Let me help you."

He dare not look her in the eyes, not now. Not in this position which they found themselves trapped in.

He feared the worse if he should. But the wound in his back, pained and needed tending too. Unfortunately, in was located in a place where it would prove to be impossible to try to heal on his own.

Instead, he slipped from her contact and turned back into the room. Sinking to the floor by the foot of her bed, he fell into silence.

Sakura took this as acceptance, and slowly crept towards him. He didn't move from her, even when she slide to the floor behind him. Slightly closer then either of them would have liked, but passing it off as what was best for the injury for a close look.

But both new different.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she forced her shaking hands to slip over the smooth yet strong back before her. Feeling instantly how his body tensed considerably upon contact, resistance the urge to pull back, she focused all of her concentration to the deep wound inflicted to his back as well as the kunai which was still lodged into his flesh.

"..It, runs pretty deep. But doesn't look to have hit any major organs. Pulling it out won't cause any further damage.."Her voice trained off.

"Do what's best."He whispered. Her green eyes shifted to the back of his head.

"Okay..hold on.."She replied and with a flex of her hands, resting one over the handle of the knife, and the other on his back. "Ready?" She asked.

"Yes."He answered.

"One , two, three-" With that she yanked on the handle and the blade slide from his flesh, and blood poured down his back along with it.

He didn't even flinch, not even a little.

Upon seeing the amount of blood which was now flowing freely down his back, she quickly reached beside her and cut a slice of her bed sheet, and placed it over his wound.

"It's just for a second until I can get my Chakra ready."She replied, although he didn't ask any questions.

Concentrating the chakra to her hands as training had taught her, she ripped the fabric from his wound and placed her hands just above the skin on his back. Hovering them there as the slow healing process began.

The uncomfortable silence which seemed to fall over them whenever they ended up alone together didn't miss it's appointment today.

Something was eating at Sakura though, it had been all night. So, figuring this is a best time as any, since medical jutsu wasn't know for it's speed. She cleared her throat softly.

"Um..Kakashi.."His eyes parted slowly, being awaken from the light sleep he had fallen into, upon hearing his name. Yet he didn't reply, which gave her cause to continue. "About what I said in the car..."

'Shit, not this again..'He cursed, not in the least wanting to talk about anything right now. Tiredness weighted his shoulders, and the soothing healing jutsu made him want to just lay down right here.

"..I didn't mean it. What i said."She whispered. Kakashi swallowed.

flashback

"I said stop it!"He hissed, his voice so dark that it scared her. He was angry, very angry.

"GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!"She cried out in pain as Kakashi's knees pressed harder into her thighs.

"Don't swear at me!" He demanded. Sakura get a curt laugh.

"Don't swear?... FUCK YOU!" She screamed. "You piece of shit don't act like you're my father! You're nothing to me!"

END FLASHBACK

"It doesn't matter if I do or not."He replied calmly and completely void of any feeling.

"I apologize. I didn't mean to say those things, not after everything you've down for me." Sakura whispered. "But ...even after all those words... you still came to help me just now...Why?" She asked.

Kakashi's didn't respond for a second. But when he did, it was this,

"It's my job."He whispered. Sakura's eyes narrowed in sadness as she felt her chest grow heavy upon his reply.

"Is...that the..only reason...?"She asked timidly.

Kakashi frowned and shut his eyes once again. No... don't think like that, he told himself.

"What other reason is there?"His answer came as a question but hurt just as much. Sakura, fought the urge to let the tears fall again.

"I'm the cause to all of you're problems, aren't I?"She whispered almost too light for him to hear, but he did. And the question caught him mildly off guard. And so, he couldn't think of a response that wouldn't hurt him in the long run.

"Are you done?"He changed the subject. Something he had picked up as a get out of conversation free card. But, this time, the card was invalid.

"No. But why don't you just stop trying to run away from this."Sakura demanded.

"Running away from what?"He shrugged it off with a care.

"From this, from me. Why do you make it totally impossible to have a decent conversation?"She sighed with frustration.

"I'm not going to do this any more."He titled his head just enough as to show the women behind him that he was impatient and very unwilling to sit there like he was for much longer.

"Do what-"

"Fall for anymore of you're empty words."He replied coldly and without waiting for her reply, rose to his feet and left.

Sakura's widened eyes focused blankly on the floor before her where he once sat.

_..Fall for anymore of you're empty words.._

The words ran through in her mind, constantly repeating themselves as if to torcher her when she had heard what he had said clearly the first time.

She hung her head in shame. He hated her. But did she expect from him or anyone in that matter?

She hated herself.

* * *

Hello, hello. If you have read this chapter, then I love you! Thanx soooooo much for reading it. But unfortunately, you're job isn't done... no, no. You still have you review! So get on that! 

SONG'S I LISTENED TO WHILE WRITING THIS CHAPTER

Glycerine By:Bush---Highly recommend this song to anyone who loves bush or that sexy voice of his.

Wonderwall (acoustic) By:Oasis---What can i say, the best acoustic performance that i have EVER listened to. Absolutely loved it!

All hail the heart breaker By: The spill canvas----Fucking awesome lyrics, but it does get annoying after a while.

Adam's Song By:Blink 182----One of the BEST songs that I have EVER heard. One of my favorites.

Bring on pain By -Mindless Self indulgence----Totally sic band, even if this is originally a Method man song, they made it the shit. I listened to this song writing the fight scene.

Party up By:DMX---Listened to this during the fight also, but SOOO love DMX! Excellent fight song.

Name of the game By:----Crystal methodWeird video, kicking song.


	9. If I'm just bad news then you're a liar

The next morning, Sakura awoke to find her face pressed down not against the pillow which she would had thought if she had her memory of last night in her mind, but the rather coarse surface of the carpet. Her skin felt as if the tiny carpet brissles had periced the layer of her cheek and the chemicals had somewhat burnt her skin. Her head hurt like someone had taken a rather large hammer and went crazy, slamming it into the sides of her defenceless skull.

She knew in the back of her mind that the room was warm, even if she was practically bare, but her body was tense and sore from a sleep of shivering. Aches in her stomach was the worse of her problems though.

Squeezing her shut eyes further closed agaisnt the uncomfortable posistion she had woken up to, her arms slide to the sides of her head and with an unnessecary amount of effort she pushed her body up and her face off the brussles that she was convinced had periced her skin.

The room began to spin almost immediatly and it was all she could do to keep from throwing up, covering her chaped lips with a hand as that awful taste anyone would figure out to be the food in her stomach threatened to show it's ugly face.

Struggling to her feet against the tipsy room, she stummbled her way towards the bathroom.

If she found the other room cold, then this must be a brothering country of the artic. The tiles on the floor almost stung her feet, and she shivered vilolently against the imaginary wind that blew against her skin. Turning on the the tap and cranking up the hot water, her hands searched for the warmth in gave off after a second of heating up.If your hands have ever been so cold after a walk outisde during winter, when you've forgotten your gloves at home, then you'll understand the strange pain you feel when the hot water intended to warm up your cold hands, stings the skin. Like the coldness of your hands was fighting a battle against the warmth which you desire to take over.

Sakura gathered a cup of water in her hands and splashed it over her face, the hair which ahd been in the way now sticking to her face. Wiping them away off her cheeks, she rubbed the wet skin afterwards. Her face was hot to the touch. Maybe she was getting sick? Glancing down to her wrists as they left her face, she immediatly spotted the red gashes that indicated the marks of the razer entering her skin. They visably shown with all the pain she had felt when the need to cut herself had takin her over.

Did Kakashi see? She hadn't worn something that could cover her marks last night. But he would have diffinatly said something if he had, wouldn't he?

A chill made her body shiver again and to stop the cold from effecting her, she reached to her side and yanked down the housecoat which hung their and threw it over her body and pulled on the sleeves untill they covered anything she didn't want anyone to see. Least of all... him.

* * *

Kakashi rose from the mattress with a grunt, immediatly grasping his shoulder as a sharp and unexpected pain shot through his back like a thousand knives. The memory of the inncounter with the ninja last night fresh in his mind as it never once left, leaving him emotionally as well as physically drained. He was so tired, yet sleep seemed like such an immposible option. It was like he could see it perfectly clear, and it seemed so real and obtainable that you try to reach out and get it but find it has been locked behind cleverly hidden glass. It was tensing him.

Hissing as his hand slide over the tender skin around the wound which he could neither see nor reach, but finding the surface of his back hot and sore. To add to things, his head hurt like hell.

All through the night he'd been scolding himself for the actions which he had taken not only towards the ninjas but to Sakura as well. How could he have been so stupid? Speaking with her was forbbiden unless absolutly nessacary, he had told himself this over and over again...yet, when he had felt her hand contact him...The strangest feeling washed over him. As if his mind froze and even left his body for the moment. He remembered feeling as if he was watching himself make these mistakes from across the room. And he had no power over where he was going and of what deep concenquences awaited him.

She spoke to him, with the innocent tone that he had fallen for so many times in the past. And for a second... a crazy thought ran through his mind that maybe, just maybe, she was telling the truth. Taht she was sorry for what she said. Stupid of him. Even if she was sorry for letting that slip, she still felt it in the first place. She just got caught saying something she meant to stay hidden.

Whatever, he didn't care. Her words mean nothing now.

* * *

The sudden door bell shartled both parties. Kakashi's sences perked up with the possiblity for another attack, and from across the house, Sakura jumped in surprise.

"Sakura? Are you up?" That was Tezuka's voice.

"Tezuka" She found herself whispering, the voice, no matter how soft and quiet is was, breaking the silence of the room. Her heart leapt slightly knowing that he was here, that there was no longer just her and Kakashi alone in this house. She couldn't stand any more of this uncomfortablness whenever they were in the same room. The incident that happen last night made things much worse, if that was possible. She felt like shit, for being like this. For feeling like this. Like she was the one that had cause all of this.

She quickly ran out of the bathroom and down the hall.

Kakashi's door opened and the silver haired man stepped out just in time to see the pink haired women rush past him in a matter that he doubted she even saw him. He watched her quickly run down the stairs toward the door.

"Come on, I don't have a key-"His sentence was cut off as the door suddenly swung open and a warm body leapt into his arms. The man let out a forced breath in surpise, wrapping his arms around the small body against him in an attempt not to fall over. Arms snaked around his waist ans a face was pressed to his mid-drfted, with a small whimper.

"Sakura?"He asked questionally, upon smelling the scent of the hair below him and the pink colour which could only belong to one person."What's wrong?"

"I'm glad you're here...tha's all."Her voice was small, so small that Tezuka had trouble hearing her. But, his arms still tighten around her back with worry.

"Did something happen?" He asked. She fought against telling him the truth and shock her head.

"I just missed you."She moved back from their closeness, glancing up into his eyes that stared intently back down at her, she smiled forcfully.

He looked as if he didn't believe her, but thankfully he just gave a simple nod of his head, closing the subject. For the moment.

Glancing up from the soft pink hair which had once captured his attention completely, he spotted the silver haired man standing at the top of the stairs. Now fully clothed in a black hooded sweater, and a pair of pants that were similar to jounin uniform pants which he would be wearing if not for the mission.

His eyes narrowed slightly,somehow knowing,the feeling that whatever Sakura was upset about had something to do with him.

However the way he felt towards the man at that moment, the tiredness under his eyes and body oder made him momentarily forget any such ill feeling for the silver haired man.

"I'm going to have a shower, okay?"He whispered, and pressed his lips to her soft forehead for a gently kiss before moving from her contact with him and towards the stairs.

Sakura watched as Tezuka sluggishly began to climb the stairs to the second floor, ripping off the tie which had been neatly fasined to the dress shirt of his full out suit. A sinking feeling struck her when witnessed him approach Kakashi who had sometime, without her noticing, stepped from his room and took some sort of an intreset in watching her and Tezuka interact.

Kakashi stepped aside, when the younge man drew closer. Sakura swallowed with nervousness which she could quite find a cause for. She watched Tezuka lean closer into Kakashi and whispered something which she was unable to hear, Before continuing up the steps.

Sakura's eyes turned away, when Kakashi's had turned to hers.

She needed to get out of the room, the sudden panic setting in of a reoccurance of last night. So, without a word she briskly turned and hurried away towards the kitchen.

After Kakashi heard the running water from upstairs, he clamly shut his eyes and took a deep breath.

'Get a hold of yourself, Kakashi. This a mission and you will be professional about this. Don't listen to anything she says unless it improves the current statious of this task.'

After he was calm, he stepped down the stairs to follow her.

She grabbed the coffee pot from it's stand and brought it to the sink where she filled it with water up to the top. Slamming the tap back down she returned the pot to into stand and grabbed a package of instant coffee, ripping it open with her teeth, she poured the contants inside. Starting it after.

She jumped in surprise when she heard a chair being moved from the huge kitchen table, and quickly turned around to see the silver haired jounin seating himself at the table. Her breaths came out like she had just run a mile, due to her heart skipping a beat and rapidly beating to catch up. She swallowed the lump in her throat, clenched her hands into tight fists at her side to calm her nerves, she turned her back to the man.

"How well do you know Tezuka?"His voice was deep and ragged from the loss of sleep last night, but Sakura felt her pulse race when his words echoed off the walls of the room and entered her ears.

"...I know him well."She replied, her voice shaky. Not knowing what he was getting at, but wanting to leave it that way.

"Do you recall what happened last night?"There it was. The sentence she had been dreading. When he would make her re-live that night when he had made it clear that he hated her. She wanted to leave.

But she was frozen in her spot at the furthest possible distanct from her to him. So she just didn't answer his question.

He must have taken this as a yes, so he continued..

"My barrier should have kept any ninja or intruders out, no matter how skilled they may be."At this he whinced at he sharp pian that shot through his wounded back. Gratful that Sakura's back was facing him, and knowing it was highly doubtful that that would change in the near future."But, any jutsu can be voided if it's exsistnace is known."

"What are you getting at?" She whispered.

"Someone let them in, someone in this house."Kakashi replied.

Sakura swallowed again.

"And...you think it was, Tezuka?" She whispered.No, that can't be right. He would never do something like that. He loved her. He was the only one who does now. He wouldn't do that.

"There are three possible options. First, would be you."She glanced back over her shoulder slightly in surprise.

"You think I-"

"No. Letting the ninja in and revealing my true identity would serve only to get youself killed, due the fact that the only reason I'm here is to protect your life."Kakashi crossed his arms across the comfortable sweater, in thought. No, she wasn't the one. She's not that stupid, at least he hoped.

"The second option, would be one of the maids. But I have neither seen nor come into contact with one since I got here. So either you have hired a spy in disguise, which is doubtful, because no maids have been in this house since I've been here. And therefore no information to report."

"I don't keep maids on a perminate basis, only a few times to clean the house while I'm away."Sakura's glaze shifted back to the counter beneath her hands.

"The thrid and last possible expanation I can think of would be Tezuka."Kakashi sighed.

"You're wrong."She whispered. He heard her loud and clear, yet continued all the same.

"He has access into the house at any time, also the ability to report any findings to the the people trying to kill you."

"You're wrong."She repeated, louder this time.

"And on top of that, he's had this anger towards me from the very beginning. He's got to have figured out who I am and our past together. Jealousy can make any man's ego flare and make the mind set of 'if I can't have her than nobody will' take over-"

"He's not like that!"She shouted and spun around to face him in anger, but upon locking eyes with his, she fell shy and uncomfortable again, and let her eyes fall to the floor.

Kakashi was silent for a moment after Sakura's obviously denial outburst.

"How long have you known him?"Kakashi asked innocently, void any emotion. Both in his features but also in his voice.

"He's a kind man, a sweet guy. He would never do what you're accusing him of. He's been the only one whose been with me through it all. "Sakura replied, ignoring his question.

"How long have you known him?" Kakashi repeated. Sakura swallowed and shut her eyes briefly before answering.

"Two years and 1 month. We've been dating for almost a year and a half. Look, what does this have to do with anything? I know Tezuka didn't let those ninja's in so way do sudden care to know my life?"

"That's not long enough for a person to understand another, what past does he have before he meet you?"Kakashi sighed, and leaned back in his chair. Sakura glanced up at him when hearing his comment.

"Tezuka doesn't keep secrets from me. Nor does he have any sort of jealousy towards you,he knows that I love him!" She snapped. Kakashi knew from that moment that Tezuka does keep things from her. No one gets that angry for something so little, if they're not. But the question is what.

"Does he cheat on you?"Kakashi asked. Sakura's face heated up with a heavy blush.

"No, he does not! I told you he loves me. And I love him, so drop it!" She huffed and turned around to whip open the fridge and grab an apple from one of the shelves. Taking a bite she turned her attention out the window atfer leaning back against the counter.

"You curtainly love saying it."He commented without really caring that she was glarinmg at him now..

"Do you cheat on him?" Kakashi pushed. Sakura's jaw tensed as she focused her gaze to nothing in particular out the window, not answering him. He paused for a second before sighing.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter to me if you do or not." He shrugged. " But if you don't answer me I'll just have to ask him myself."Kakashi rose to his feet, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Go right ahead."Sakura snapped. "He'll tell you the same damn thing I've been telling you. We don't cheat on each other, we love each other. And nothing you can do is going to change that. But after he does find out that your just some old fling, he'll kick your ass out and hired a real bodyguard. Then everyone will be happy." She shouted and turned back to the window.

He knew that her comment was menat purposely to hurt him, and that he shouldn't have let it get to him. But unfortunatly, he flet the heat rise inside of him, and the angry burn through his sharply pointed eyes directed at her.

"Do I have to spell it out for you, or scream it in your face! The only thing keeping me here right now is killing that son-of-a-bitch who fucked up my mission, that's all."He shouted, moving closer to her slightly."So keep you mouth shut and do what you're good at."

"And what's that!" She cried shifting her glarring eyes at him.

"Fucking people and smiling for the camera afterwards."He spat. Sakura's face heated up once again, and her chest rose and fell in the huge breaths used to try to clam herself, but failing miserably.

"I don't know what i hate more about you! The way you think me a whore or the way you use thatto cover up your fucking issues!"

"Well think about it, that is if you still have some sort capacity to think for youself." With that Kakashi turned to walk away, but Sakura followed behind him.

"Fuck you, you self absorbed asshole! What makes you think you know anything about me!" Sakura challenged. Kakashi paused his walk with a heavy sigh, turning to face her, as she stopped just in time before bumping into him.

"That's the thing, I don't know shit about you anymore. I used to think I did, but you fucked up any possible way of trying to figure you out. But I'm fine with that."He shrugged as if what he said was true.

"Me, fucking things up? What about you?"She frowned. Kakashi groaned and rolled his head back in annoyance.

"I can't believe you actually think you had nothing to do with how we turned out?" He laughed, but it was fake and angry.

"I didn't say that! I know that.."She paused for a second."..that i'm the one who left. I'm not trying to justifiy the way I did it but why I did it."She whispered.

"Don;t try to claim your innocence and don't for one second deny the truth, except it and go on with you life so I can go on with mine."

"Kakashi, listen to me, there was a reason I did what I did-"

"I don't want to hear this shit."Kakashi replied and turned to leave.

"But I tried! At the beginning when you first got here, I tried to act as if we weren't itching to scream at eachother like we're doing now! But each fucking time you pushed me away."

"What did you expect Sakura!" He was now facing her again."What did you think things would be like? Like they used to be? That will never be again, don't you understand? You fucked up any chance to have that life, when you..."He faded out and with an exhale of pent up steam, stuffed his hands back into his pockets.

"Kakashi, I know that., I'm not looking for a time machine to go back to then. I just want to have some sort of aggreement which we don't end up fucking screaming at eachother whenever we're alone in a room."She ran her hand through her pink hair, trying to reason with someone she feared was unreasonable.

"Fine." He replied and turned to head back up the stairs. Sakura watched him go, willing to let him storm off this time,untill she stopped him by calling his name. He paused with reluctance and waited for her to say what she wanted to. Why he did, he would never know.

"For the record...I'm sorry for what I did."She whispered.

"For the record, I still hate you all the same."He whispered and vanished up the stairs.

* * *

Ok New chapter! I personally liked this one, but who cares what i think. It'a all about the reviewers! So do your job and review.'

P.s. Sorry about the wait between chapters, but my computer is a hunk of shit that I personally crapped out!


	10. Show me everyone but yourself

SORRY ABOUT THE LONG TIME BETWEEN UPDATES! I've been busy.

So hope you like this chapter!

* * *

He felt uncomfortable. The feeling had seemed to become such a frequently used one that it didn't surprise him anymore. It would appear that this mission would be harder then he had first thought, but the situation he was in now gave new life to the emotion. Never in a million years had he seen so much cameras, and all in the same place...seeming to be centered on only one person. She was a "top model" after all, or so he's been told. And up until now he didn't know just to what extent that in tales, but everything came into view once he stepped out of that limo. When his foot first hit that carpet, he was both shocked and startled at what he saw.

Without a second to catch his breathe, a swamp of cameras and their operators pushed their way into his face. Through his momentarily blinded eyes caused by the content flashing of bright light, he saw the people dressed in suits thrashing and squirming their ways deeper into the pack to try to get a better shot of the jounin who didn't have any reason to have his picture taken next to the fact of who stepped from the car after him.

"Sakura! Sakura, look at me please!" Came one call from somewhere in the pack.

"Over here Sakura!" Came another, but not as nicely as the last.

"Mrs. Hoku!"

Many outbursts boomed from the crowd, trying to convince the pink haired women to look directly at their camera next to the other twenty she had to choose from. A smile graced her lips in reaction, but it was half hearted in nature. Kakashi noticed this immediately.

She raised her hand above her head to wave to the crying spectators who were too calling her name, saying they loved her.

Kakashi stepped in front of her and the camera people who pushed continually closer to her, and stood as a wall between those who would do anything to get their shot. Occasionally gave a push on a few people to keep them at bay, but still the screams and requests, no orders rang into all three parties ears, as Tezuka followed close behind her. Frowning curiously at the action made by the personal assistant. Sakura momentarily glanced at the silver haired mans back when he had put himself as a shield between herself and the paparazzi who, she knew very well, to have a driving nature. Making them do whatever is necessary to get their shot, and to get paid afterwards. She felt safe at that moment, even if it was him who was the cause of it.

Kakashi was opposed to this immediately, and if it was up to him he would have grabbed Sakura and gotten back into the car. But, as Sakura had made it perfectly clear, being her bodyguard doesn't mean that he makes the decisions. Even if that entails putting herself in danger. As his blue eyes cautiously scanned the crowd, high and low, the gut feeling that something bad was about to happen began to set in, as it had while on the many, many missions he had been sent on for Konoha in his day. He couldn't help thinking that there were far too many popularities for the enemy to get a clear shot at Sakura and the silver haired ninja knew that he couldn't protect her from all of them.

Seeing it as his only option right now, Kakashi moved forward closer to Sakura. She gasped when his hand came to rest on her small waist from behind, her cheeks burning hot with the blush that had crept onto her face, but he quickly ushered her inside the building without hearing nor caring to hear any objects which were no doubt streaming out her harlequin-painted mouth.

* * *

Once the large, the quite muscular bouncers had shut the door and sealed the three inside and the camera personal outside, it was then Kakashi's hand slipped off of her tiny waist. Ignoring the shiver of what he couldn't tell, that ran down her body as his hand left her touch; he set his attention to the new surroundings he had found himself in.

The large building was packed full of people, each dressed, as Kakashi noticed, in more unique and bizarre pieces of clothing then the last. His blue eyes scanned the sea of people, his senses being overwhelmed by the large array of bright colors of dresses and booming volume of conversations within groups scattered all over the large area of the waiting section. What they were talking about, he neither cared nor had any desire to find out.

His arm was brushed by another as a middle aged man with platinum blonde hair moved passed him and entered the crowd.

"Sakura, dear, you have to get ready!" Tezuka shouted over the talking people, gathering Kakashi's attention. His blue eyes shifted from surveying the room to focus on Tezuka who had slipped a strong arm around her waist and stroked the silkiness of her dress in a flirtatious way, which Kakashi found odd. Was it because only moments before it was his arm that had been around her? Was he...jealous? He shook the thoughts from his mind and watched Sakura, as a young woman dressed not in weird clothing but particular plain white blouse with brown dress paints, lead her away. His eyes met with his briefly, before she was lead around the crowd and disappeared into a black door. Kakashi had a mind to create a clone to act in his place while he followed her, but Tezuka motioned for them to move down to the lower level. He chose to follow the purple haired man down the three steps and into the crowd.

"Tell me, Tre." Kakashi's attention shifted to the man who had, for the first time that evening, addressed him.

Kakashi remained silence, giving Tezuka reason to continue

"What was your profession before this one?" He asked, glancing around the room.

"Why do you want to know?" Kakashi asked calmly.

"Oh," he shrugged. "Just because." His eyes finally came to rest on the silver haired man. Kakashi remained silent as their eyes locked. It was a game, he figured. A challenge, for Tezuka, to prove that he was in control, that he was the boss. These questions were just foreplay. They were just used to mask his true nature. Kakashi didn't like this man.

"I was a bouncer." He lied, well. It wasn't quite a lie. Ninja can be used as bouncers at times. Ninja's can be used an almost anything. But if he already knew that Kakashi was indeed Ninja, then why is he asking? It was a game, you see.

"Ah." He replied. "A bouncer to a Personal assistant. Quite a change, yes?"

"I got board." He responded without a second to spare.

"So what will you do when you get board with this career, Tre?" His smirk didn't phase the calm natured jounin who had been put to the test on many occasions by many different people, and he proved it with a remark that didn't suit Tezuka the right way.

"I don't, maybe I'll be a manager." Kakashi shrugged, stuffed his hands into his pockets and descended down the stairs.

Tezuka, after giving the back of the man an angry glare, was quick to follow.

"To tell you the truth, Tre. And I do want to be honest. I can't for the life of me; figure out what it is that you do for Sakura and me. I mean, you are very good at finding trouble, but Sakura seems to do that fine on her own."

"I take all those useless and worrisome problems off of her shoulders, so that she can perform to the best of her abilities at what she does. And as for you," Kakashi turned to face the man who stood an inch below his nose, "I provide good conversation." He smiled and turned to walk into the crowd.

* * *

As time passed, Kakashi grew more and more anxious, the large double white doors still remained closed, and he hadn't been into contact with Sakura now for a half-an-hour and the thought in the back of his mind that something had happened in the time span moved him to excuse himself to the bathroom.

"The show is starting Tre. Can't have you missing it, can we?" Tezuka grinned. An action which Kakashi found fake and cowardly, yet smiled back without hesitation. And sure enough after that, the doors creaked open and the many people who and been gathering, calmly filed inside the opening.

Inside was dark, yet Kakashi's Sharigen shot through what the others around him were undoubtedly having difficulty seeing through. Which made him wonder why, due to that fact that his eye hadn't been in the best condition since arriving in Grass country? Why it was in such agonizing pain one minute then acting like nothing was different the next, he didn't know. But then again, he wasn't a doctor and next to normal talent of stitching cuts which every shinboi will come to know every well, he was pretty useless when it came to health care. Not that he was complaining about the relief of not having his eye feel like it's going to burst, in fact it came as a much welcomed feeling.

He saw the room was long and thin rather then large and wide, as the waiting area had been. Seats in lined rows circled the centre run way that ran from one side of the building to the half way to the next.

Tezuka lead himself and the silver haired and the stairs, passing many people who had already taken their seats, to the end of the walk way to a small gathering of reserved seats. Glancing briefly down the narrow runway, he saw nothing but a vibrant red wall and no sign of Sakura.

He took his seat next to the purple haired man who had chosen a seat front row, centre.

"When will the show start?" Kakashi whispered, leaning over slightly as to not disturb the quiet nature of the place where they sat.

"Briefly." He gave a curt reply, successfully without removing his eyes from the reading material in his lap which he had picked up just before entering the main room.

Kakashi sat back in his chair and fell silent as he took to watching the people around him trying to find their seats in the dark. The bright and brilliant colours of the clothing he had been repelled from due to the natural of the colours now faded into the lack of light and served to sooth his eye which had begun to act up again that morning.

"Well, look who it is!" Came a rather loud but cheerful voice that pieced the silence which had fallen over the two. Kakashi blinked and lifted his chin, as his eyes met with the face of none other than Mesi, as the small man looked down over him.

"Mesi." He nodded and let hi gaze once more fall to the stage.

"Nice of you to remember me, Tre." The small man moved to climb over the row of chairs and slide into the empty chair next to Kakashi. The silver haired man could only watch on in curiosity and amusement as the photographer leapt over chairs in the middle of a fashion show. Now he wasn't an expert at these kinds of gatherings but jumping over chairs seemed a little unorthodox. But then again, he couldn't be shocked when he wouldn't have expected anything else from the rather unusual yet strangely fascinating man.

"It's only been a week or so since we first met." Kakashi commented.

"Oh yes, I remember it like it was yesterday." Mesi smirked as the images of the photo shoot played in his mind as clean as when you've just witnessed it happen. Kakashi frowned slightly and quickly focused his gaze elsewhere. "Nice to see you again Tezuka." Mesi addressed the silent man for the first time. "How have you been?"

"Fine." Tezuka replied yet still his eyes remained on the fascinating reading material in his lap.

"Oh and I'm fabulous thanks for asking." Mesi chuckled, yet remained unbothered by the Purple haired man who suddenly became antisocial. "I'm simply dieing to see this show." The man switch topics like none other, Kakashi was beginning to realize. "Myris is one of the hottest designers around these days."

"Really?" Kakashi sighed, not really interested but doubting the talkative man would be silent if he was to know the copy ninja's true feelings.

"Of course, don't tell me that you've never heard of him?" Mesi expressed his shock by grabbing Kakashi's arm. The silver haired man, shifted uncomfortably.

"To tell you the truth," He yanked the small man's grip from his arm before continuing. "I'm don't really concern myself with fashion, the subject doesn't interest me." He replied, scratching the back of his head.

"But to have a client that high in fashion inner circles as Sakura Hoku is, there must be something about this subject that sparks an interest." Mesi grinned.

Kakashi turned to glare at the chuckling man to his right, opened his mouth to contradict what was said, when soft music filled the room with melody which he couldn't place yet drew his in anyway. Making his comeback fade from his mind for the moment, as his eyes shifted to the stage, seeing that a thin layer of fog swiftly snake across the runway, as if in dance, the fog swayed from one side to the other then floating back into the crowd seated in the front row.

The cloud smelt terrible as it entered Kakashi's nose, yet his hand couldn't resist twisting around the layer of fog that snaked its way into his lap. Playing with the way it drifted smoothly over his fingers, why he didn't know. This wasn't the first time he's seen fog, yet this didn't seem the same as a smoke bomb often used in combat. This was milky coloured and without beginning or end, without anger or made to hurt.

"Oooo it's starting." Mesi clapped with excitement.

Kakashi's gaze lifted from his hands to the stage as a single small figure appeared on the runway. She moved gracefully thought he clouds of fog at her feet, each step causing the cloud to drift away. She walked forcefully, fast yet without any hurry. Thin legs striding with confidence and poise, almost in a cocky nature, if her face wasn't so void of any emotions. It startled him how lifeless her expressions were, and as she neared the end to the runway his blue eyes realized that she was not looking at anything or anyone in general, yet had a far away look to her vibrant blue eyes.

To add to that, her body was so thin, he thought she would pass out at any moment. Sakura was thin, but not nearly as thin as this woman was. The strapless dress she showed off nearly fell from her chest from the lack of breasts, the long gracefully arms hung lazily at her sides and were let to swing whenever she took a step. Her light brown hair so frizzy it looked as if she had been hit by lightning, tied back in a very loose pony tail.

The model stopped right in front of Kakashi, and snapped her hip into a pose before turning around to head back.

Mesi leaned to Kakashi.

"Nyni Yosi. Isn't she wonderful?" Mesi whispered. Kakashi glanced over to him briefly before turning back.

"She's…uh..." His mind scanned for a word. "..She's something." He decided on.

His eyes caught another woman who was now occupying the spot light, this girl's walk was similar to the girl before, but her appearance was different. For example, her hair was not long like the others, but quite short which was also so frizzy that it seemed to turn into an afro. The heavy black eye liner around her eyes made her hazel eyes pop, yet the heavy baby blue eye shadow applied around her eyes gave her another earthly appearance.

The see through shirt she wore gave no cover to hide her breasts that was very visible with the convenient absence of a bra, making Kakashi hide the blush that threatened to appear and turn away briefly to regain his composure. Her straight legged brown pants clung to her body, yet the puffy bow attached to the ass of the pants made the pants look that much tighter.

Her hand reached loosely on her waist, but threatened to slide off with every stride she took.

And again she stopped at the end of the walkway, snapped her hips and turned to walk back.

"Don't they eat?" Kakashi found himself whispering before his mind had fully come to grips with what he was going to say. It had been a curse laid upon his since taking this mission. Mesi chuckled.

"They keep telling me they do, but it doesn't look like it, huh?" Kakashi glanced over at him briefly before shaking his head. "But that's what designers want now-a-days." He added with a sign.

"Why?" Kakashi questioned, turning his attention from the man to the show.

Mesi shrugged. "To tell you honestly, I don't really know. Healthy girls always take better pictures I find. But unfortunately, not everyone believes that." He replied.

"So they starve themselves?" Kakashi asked. Narrowing his eyes in pity at the model before him.

"Hai, many do. But that's what the secret appeal to Ms. Hoku is."

"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked.

"Well think about it. Most of the popular are of Sakura's body size, which means that the cloths she wears can fit them."

"Ah" Kakashi replied in understanding. "But she has gotten much thinner since I last-"He stopped himself before he said to much. Mesi smiled as if winning the battle to get the man to open up about the girl. But thankfully, he left it alone. At least for the moment, anyway.

"More to the fact, I believe that it's a welcomed change to have someone in the business without an eating disorder. It's been far too long since someone has eaten the food at parties anyway." Mesi smiled, Kakashi couldn't help but dot he same, before turning back to his hands once again.

A loud applause startled the jounin from his thought and as he lifted his gaze to see why, his eyes caught something that made him immediately sit up in his seat with mild interest.

Pink hair that darken with the lack of light, yet shined with the small spot light that followed her down the runway. As if she was the centre of attention, as if everyone in that room was looking at her and nothing else. Well, Kakashi couldn't speak for the rest of the many people around him, but his gaze remained on her from the moment she had appeared on that platform.

Her arms hung loosely at her sides and swung to the rhythm in which she walked her feet invisible underneath the cloud of fog that continuously floated from nowhere, to cover the stage completely. His eyes moved on their own accord, as he slowly looked her over, from head to ankles. First thing he noticed was her hair, being the brightest color she had on at that moment; his eyes were drawn to it to begin with. It was, just like the other models that came before her, frizzy and tied up loosely as if her hair had been cut up to her ears. Her eyes were completely blue, all around her cheeks up to her eyebrows, yet she wore heavy black eye liner that mad her eyes pop. But because of that, Kakashi was able to see the expression on her face from where he sat.

She looked sad. His brows frowned slightly when he first saw it; a lump formed in his throat making him swallow in an attempt to make it go away. She looked distant, as if her body was here but her mind was elsewhere. Yet, even with the apparent absence of her thoughts, she still managed to strut down that runway with such passion and forcefulness that Kakashi actually thought that she was in a hurry to get to the end so she could hurt something.

He allowed his thoughts to drift as far as to say that she was beautiful, absolutely stunning. It wasn't as if he was betraying his vow to hate her and despise her, he thought it because it was true. She had always been a very beautiful woman, yet he couldn't help but pity her for some reason. She may have everything in the bag in the looks department, but look at her now. She's not even there, everyone in the room is applauding her yet she doesn't even know it. He made up his mind right then…she wasn't happy.

Before he knew it, she was right before him. His gaze lifted in order to see her; she had paused at the end and posed as many cameras snapped pictures of her, as all the girls before her had.

Her green eyes slowly shifted to his, he didn't know why at that moment his heart flustered as if had when he and she were….. But to have that feeling felt strongly….No.

He cut eye contact and quickly turned his head elsewhere, shutting his eyes for good measure. Even though he laughed her, for everything she had done in the past, to see her like this mad his heart ache. Made him wish that things could have turned out differently for her and him as well.

Sakura's gaze soon too fluttered away after his. She felt her heart break once again as she watched him turn his back on her, even when she was up on this stage right now. Camera's madly flashing just to get a picture of her, people clapping just to see her. And yet, no of this mattered. She wanted to hate him so badly at that moment, but all she thought about was how much she hated herself.

The camera's snapping madly as a single tear ran down her cheek; bring the eye make up with it. She quickly turned away and started back, the applause still ringing in her ears yet leaving her unmoved and cold.

Mesi's gaze sharply turned to Kakashi's as he, and everyone else witnessed the small interaction between the model on stage and the man who sat next to him, with slight confusment. He knew quite well that something was between them, something that happened a while ago that caused their drifting apart, but to witness first hand at the conflicted emotions coming to life was something he found quite interesting and sad at the same time. Of course neither of them would admit it, but actions speak louder then words after all. One thing that still haunted his mind was why Sakura had called him Kakashi while at the photo shoot that day? He'd just have to find out wouldn't he?

He grinned with ideas.

* * *

The fashion show had ended soon after Sakura had walked back behind the red brick wall that divided back stage and where the cameras were. And at last the house lights flicked on and the lights chased the dark back underneath the seats. But the sudden light after no many hours in darkness set his already irritated eye in a sharp pain that made him hunch forward in his seat.

"Tre?" Mesi asked in concern as he heard the man grunt and quickly press his knuckles into his left eye. "Are you alright?" Losing the battle to keep the urge to cry out, his pain filled cry only served to worry Mesi more as he soon yelled for a doctor, over the shuffling feet.

By this time the people from the rows behind Kakashi were gathering around to get a better look at what was going on.

Sakura quickly looked up from her makeup stand upon hearing an agonizing cry from behind the red brick wall in where the runway was. Instantly remembering the night she was attacked, vivid pictures of Kakashi crying out like the one she had just heard, made her leap to her feet.

"Kakashi..." She whispered to herself, turning on her heals to rush past the girls who had too heard to noise from the main room and had stopped in their business to see what is was about. Still wearing the same clothing she had on the runway, she quickly pushed aside the occasional girl who blocked her way, until she stood in front of the red wall on the runway which she had only moments before walked down.

There was a large crowd at the end of the runway, and without hesitation took off in a run down to where, with no doubt in her mind, Kakashi was. She didn't think about why, when she first heard that yell, her heart sank to her chest. She didn't think why she was in such a hurry to get to him, as if everything depended on her being on time. She didn't know why when she finally pushed her way through the crowd and saw him resting with his head in his hands and chest rising and falling deeply, a sense of relief ran through her. But it happened just the same.

"Tre?" Mesi whispered questionly, as he felt the back muscles of the silver haired man relax and smooth out.

"Y-yes." His voice was rasp and low, just as it had been in her room. "I'm fine, thank you, it just happens from time to time..." He assured, lifting his head, and opening his eyes slowly. Letting the light once again enter.

She was the first thing he saw.

She looked as if she had run the desert to get to him, her hair half out of its tie, and makeup half washed off. But there was fear, and relief in her eyes. Kakashi wondered why.

He rose to his feet, thanked those around him for their concern, assured them he was ok, and slipped through the crowd.

Sakura's breathing steadied as she watched him walk away as if nothing had happened; remaining where she stood even after the large crowd had dissolved to only Tezuka, Mesi and herself.

"You need to get ready for tonight." Tezuka replied. Mesi cast him a glance.

"Yes." She whispered, with a nod and turned to watch back onto the runway and back behind the red wall.

"What do you suppose that was about?" Tezuka asked. Mesi shrugged in response.

"I'm not a doctor." He replied.

"No, you're not." He sighed and calmly walked away.

* * *

Sakura lifted her strapless, floor long stripped, white and black dress as Tezuka helped her to climb into the limo. She moved to the furthest possible seat to make room for the two men who would be entering the vehicle right behind her.

Tezuka was next, and stepped into the limo after Sakura had taken her seat, moving down the line so that he could sit right next to her.

Kakashi was last and after he had got into the vehicle shut the door behind him with a slam. Taking his seat right next to the door, the car was in motion mere moments later.

As if the fashion show hadn't been bad enough, now apparently they were headed to an after party somewhere in the town next to this one. Shimari, was its name. Kakashi had never been there, yet the thought of leaving the city left him with an uneasy feeling.

Silence had fallen over the three and the sound of the wind brushing against the car was all to be heard.

Kakashi took to gently stroking his sharigen, glancing in the window to see if the contact had broken again, grateful that it hadn't. The eye still irritated as if waiting to explode into pain again yet teasing him until it did. He had to get it check out soon before it began to seriously affect the mission. Unfortunately, the identity he had taken on for this mission didn't have a sharigen to affect his health, so he would need a doctor from Konoha who knew of his mission already.

Glancing over at Sakura as the thought hit him, he was surprised to have those green eyes already watching him. Quickly, he turned away again.

'Damnit, why do I keep looking at him?' She cursed herself. 'It's over between us! Nothing good can come out of re-living the past. You can't look back, never look back." She repeated it over and over in her head, squeezing her eyes shut in an attempt to burn it into her thoughts.

A warm hand touch hers, making her lift her head and forget those words she had been thinking about.

"Are you alright?" Tezuka asked, his head resting on the nape of her neck and gently stroking her skin, a tickling sensation filled her and she reach to place a hand over hers to make him stop.

With a smile she replied, "I'm fine."

He nodded, and withdrew contact completely as his hands folded neatly in his lap. Turning his gaze to the silver haired man in the corner, who had remained silent up until this point.

"How did you like the show Tre?" Tezuka asked, seeming generally interested.

"My first and hopefully not my last." He glanced at the man addressing him. Tre raised his eyebrows.

"Really? So you like it, did you?"

"It was a new experience." He nodded and turned, once again, to watch the passing cars.

Sakura's eye shifted from Kakashi to Tezuka during their conversation. They were acting almost as if they actually liked each other, when she knew all too well that , for whatever reason, they hated each other. Tezuka was like this most of the time when another man entered their lives, it made her sick how protective he was of her, yet he did worse with many other girls all of the time. Kakashi on the other hand, she couldn't figure out. Was he protective, as well? Or was it because he suspected Tezuka of betraying her?

Whatever it was, she knew that the problems between them will only get worse as time passes.


	11. You are red, violent red

"Hello?" Came a tired women's voice from the otherside of the line, entering Sakura's ears through the reciver held up to her ear. The voice sent her heart in a race, as memories of hearing that authoritive, stern, yet compassionate and caring tone that the Hokage had always had ever since Sakura could remember. Sakura's first thought was how much she missed hearing that voice everyday, even if the Blonde women had scared her at the beginning, Sakura missed talking to her.

The response from Tsunade was almost completely drowned out by Sakura's blood pumping in her ears, and shut her eyes in order to concentrate on just what was being said.

"...Hello...Tsunade-Sama.." Sakura whispered, clearing her throat away from the reciever for a second to make her voice louder. The sweet formed on the phone through Sakura's death grip on the object served only to make the pink haired women drop the phone for a second before frantically picking it up again, and placing back up to her ear once again.

There was a pregnant pause before a reply came.

"...Sakura? Is that you?" Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat, pausing to shut her eyes for the second time since dialing the number given to her before she left. Thinking of what exactly she was planning to say to the former sensei, cursing herself for not thinking it over before calling. Why had she even called to begin with?

"Yes." She whispered softly, her voice low with a childish nature. "It's me." She could fell herself shaking, not from any cold, for it was rather hot in the room, but from nerves. It had to be nerves, and she clenched the phone in both of her hands to repeat dropping it again.

"Sakura...How have you been?"Sakura could tell that the women was surpised and completely caught off guard by the sudden conversation which had taken place between teacher and apprentice for going on three years now. Maybe she thought that this day would never come? Or maybe she did, but not this soon, certainly not. Sakura surpised herself by suddenly having the overwhelming urge to revisit a part of her past worth revisiting. Kakashi was to blame, there was no doubt in her mind. Maybe...maybe if he was this angry at her for leaving, the feeling was mutul for all of the people she left behind.

"I've been...I've been..." Nothing came to mind, and Sakura was silent and her mind void of an answer." H-how have you been?" She stuttered out.

"I've been good. Worried about you. You haven't called...it's been a long time." Tsunade replyed through the reciever.

Sakura swallowed again. " I've been busy." Lie.

"I bet. I'm aware of your new career choose. Congradulations."

Sakura nodded to herself, but gave no reply.

"I hope you're still working on your medical-jutsus, through. It was be a shame to have you waste that gift."

"...Why don't you ask me why I called?" Sakura whispered, her voice dark and serious. It had changed from the beginning of the conversation, nerves disappeared, and Sakuras body turned deathly still.

Silence fell between the two, and it seemed like hours before either spoke again.

"..I know why you called." She whispered, confirming Sakura's expectations of the Hokage which she, for a very long time, had respected both for her ninja abilities and medical -Jutsus. It wasn't just by chance that Sakura had chosen now of all times to suddenly get back into touch with an old friend, and Tsunde had known from the getgo that thsi phone call had nothing to do with friendly conversation, and everything to do with Kakashi who had out of the blue re-entered her life.

Sakura swalllowed the lump that once again rose from her rising emotions. Her chest feeling heavier then usual.

"Why?" Sakura hissed, anger filling every inch of her being. " Why did you tell him where I was!" She softly screamed., trying to keep anyone who may be listening through the door, from hearing her. Especially not Kakashi.

"Sakura, listen to me before making any rash decistions, okay?" Tsunade voice was calmer now. Now that they had got down to the issue. " At first it wasn't even about you at all, it was about Grass country."

"He was sent on my orders to complete a mission within that country involving seperate matters from you. I'm sure he's told you that. Then Keiichi, you know him as mayor of Grass Village, brought to me the attention of a security issue with you."

"Security Issue?" Sakura whispered. Yes, Kakashi had said that too, when he first made his presence known over two weeks ago, then again when those two ninja attacked her at her house. Why, she needed to know.

"Yes, he feared your safety, and requested the assistance of one of Leaf Countries Ninjas."

"Why him?" Sakura whispered, her voice almost pleading. So that Tsunade had to run her hands through her hair back in Konoha.

"Considering the fact that Leaf and Grass aren't direct neighbours, sending a ninja from here would run as a risk to not getting to you in time. So we had to choose a ninja who was already stationed in Grass or near it. Trust me when I say, that Kakashi would have been a very last resort...considering the circumstances." Sakura squeezed her eyes shut, fighting to hold back tears.

"We had a deal Tsunade-sama." She whispered." We had a deal that he would never find out where I was! That he would never to find me!" She felt hot tears burn her eyes and felt the liquid run down her cheeks. " Not only has he found me... but he's sleeping in my house. Shaking hands with my boyfriend, following me everywhere i go!"

"I'm so sorry Sakura, really I am." Tsunade whispered. Sakura furiously whipped the stream of tears from her cheeks.

"You have no idea what you've done! What has happening since he's been here." She sobbed.

"Sakura... I probably shouldn't tell you this. But.." Sakura waited for her to continue, but when she didn't, Sakura sniffled.

"What?" She whispered.

"...Kakashi, he...He..oh what the fuck..Sakura, Kakashi never really got over you, you know that right."She replyed softly. Sakura, let out a small sob.

"..He was never the same after you left. Genma and I have always said that somehow, a part of his left with you that day. His happiness, his heart. Sure he smiled, but... he could never pull off that famous Kakashi smile the way he could before. It was empty. Like he was. It was so hard to watch him melt away like he did, like, life didn't really matter, you know? I shouldn't be telling you this."

Sakura listen with everything she had, having really no idea how Kakashi was after she had left. She knew he was heart borken, but to what extent she couldn't bare to think about. What did she do? How could she had broken the only man who ever truely loved her?

"At first he never left the house, the house that you two shared. Not for atleast a week. Until finally we dragged him out of there for a drink, something to cheer him up. That night was the first night the I'd ever seen a man so drunk. It sure as hell made me think about my drinking ways...Well, not really."

Sakura gave a sad smile.

"Anyway, Genma and him went out from there alone. I was later informed that they had gone to a strip club. Long story short...he couldn't so it."

"...What?" Sakura whispered, not knwoing what she was talking about.

"He couldn't have sex with the prostatute." Sakura frowned, letting her eyes fall to her feet." Genma told me that he just pushed her away, repeating over and over again."...

Flashback

_"I can't...I can't... you're not her...You're not her." Kakashi whispered pathetically, and let his hand fall from the red headed girls waist, to the motel mattress beneath him. Fummbling around the room in a daze till he collided with a table._

_"Who? I'm not who? You're girlfriend." The red head laughed._

_Kakashi drunkenly pushed himself up off the desk, staggering around the centre of the room before slammed his body into the door. Blindly searching for the noob, he swung it open and fummbled from the dark room into the light in the hall. His shoulder slamming intot he wall acrosss from the room he just exited. His legs gave out from underneath him, and he colapsed on the floor._

_"Kakashi?" Genma questioned as he poked his head from his own room, to see the man lying on the floor in the middle of the hall._

_The silver haired man pushed himself up against the wall, and witha grunt raised to his feet._

_"Hey, take it easy." Genma replyed, moving from the doorway to help his friend. Wearing only a pair of dark blue boxers, as the rest of his clothes currently being woren by the women watching the sence from the doorway._

_"I'm sorry.."He heard the drunken man whisper._

_"Nothing to be sorry about, let's take you h-"_

_"I'm sorry...Sakura." He passed out._

End Flashback

Sakura's eyes widened as she stared at the wall through blurry eyes, letting out soft chokes of tears when holding them down was no longer possible.

"He.."She sobbed." He didn't do it." She whispered to herself, her mind telling her that she should be happy. And glad that Kakashi hadn't done what she feared he had. But her heart couldn't help but break at the fact that he chose not to fell the warmth and company of that surely beautiful women, just because he still had feeling for her.

Sakura's knees buckled beneath her and she fell to the stone floor in a heap of sobs, letting the phone slip from her hands as she covered her face.

"Sakura?"Tsunades voice couldn't reach anyones ears, as Sakura's sobbs grew louder and painful.

"Why?" She cried. " Why couldn't.. you have just.. forgotten me?"

"Sakura? Sakura?"

"Why did you still love me, even then?"

"Sakura?" A male voice snapped her head up in surprise, upon hearing it over her self pity and tears. " Are you in there?"

It was Kakashi's voice who was calling her through the locked door, she would know it anywhere.

"..Yes." She forced her voice to be loud, jet it came out as a small rasp reponse, not masking the fact she'd been crying at all. As she wished it had.

"..Everyone is waiting." He replyed. Sakura sniffed and whipped away the tears from her face.

"O-okay. I'll be out in a minute." She called, lifting herself off the dirty floor, brushing off her dress and glancing in the mirror at the puffy eyed girl who looked back at her.

Kakashi let out an exhale of air, as he stood back against the wall, awaiting her to unlock the door and come out.

Sakura soon exited the room, to find the silver haired man's eyes keen on watching her every move, as she fixed her dress and smoothed out her hair.

"Tezuka wants to see you."He replyed, swearing he saw red around her eyes for a brief second before she turned her back on him and hurried down the tight hallway out into the large room.

Once she was out of sight, Kakashi slipped into the room that she had just left. Softly closing the door, behind him, he walked towards the phone that still dangled off the hook. Bending to pick the reciever up, he placed it against his ear. Only to find a beeping sound coming from the other end, he blinked and gently set the phone back upon it's hook.

Turning he, slipped out of the room as silent as he had entered.

* * *

Kakashi sighed heavily, letting his lazily eyes drift shut and his head fall to his chest. Impatience was never a good quality for a ninja to have, but the urge to grab Sakura and leave the packed room had long since set in and growing harder to ignore and fight by each passing second.

She could be so stubborn at times. Wait , what was he talking about? She's always stubborn!

He had watched from a safe distance as Sakura comsumed glass after glass of achohal which happened to pass her. Kakashi had tried, and failed to stop her after the third one, but She had ignored him completely and just walked away, That had had to be at least 2 hours ago. And the slightly swaying pink haired women had shifted to a full out drunken scene, the men around her welcoming the chance that she would dance with them as she switched from guy to guy.

'God damnit..' Kakashi mentally cursed.

"Tell me something Tre." Kakashi dreaded the conversation that was about to transpior between better the two, ever since sencing Tezuka's approach a few moment's ago. And outwardly groaned as the man came to stand beside him, although it was go unnoticed over the music.

"Hmm."Kakashi replyed, lifting his head and directing his eyes out in the crowd. Focused on nothing inparticular, but most diffinately not on the green haired man next to him.

"Why is it, that you, a personal assistant, is at every single get-together which Sakura attends?" Tezuka's question only served to spark Kakashi's increasing impatience and out right boardom with the man's constant snooping and hidden resentment.

"Sakura requests it. Why do you ask?" Kakashi's body twisted so that his back slouched lazily agaisnt the bar, calmly sticking his hands into the pockets of his tux.

"I don't know...I guess i just find it odd." Tezuka shrugged it off.

"What?"Kakashi sighed.

"Ever since you came here.. ever since you've been hired by Sakura. The two of you are inseperable. Then I talk to Mesi and he tells me that you two have a history, running deeper then you had originaly told me." Kakashi called his bluff.

"Since when do you have social converastions with him about employees?" Kakashi turned to set his lazy gaze on the eyes that intently watched him. Seeing them spark with anger at the question, Kakashi found innocent enough.

"Listen you..."His anger softened at the end of a great deal of inner control, carefully closing his eyes for a brief second before returning focus to Kakashi. "I'm going to ask you a question that i asked you a while back." He replyed and turned so his back touched the back of the railing as well.

"And what would that be?" Kakashi knew it was coming. Tezuka wasn't the time to let anything go, and his protecive nature over Sakura drove in to be over paroind and threatened by any man near her. Even if Kakashi had no relationship with the pink haired women anymore, if Tezuka should find out if they had long ago been in a relationship, it wouldn't end good.

"Do you find Sakura attractive?" Tezuka asked, not nearly as innocent as before. But far more harsh and straight to the point, leaving to reason for anyone to believe that what he asked should be taken lightly and expecting a straight answer..

"My feelings haven't changed since you last asked me this outragious accusation, ask me again and I will not handle this matter so casually. Be sure of that."Kakashi's stern voice was sure to enter the mans ears, and sure to piss him off. Kakashi was counting on it. Anger makes people make mistakes, and Tezuka just might let information slip if pushed to that edge. Either way, Kakashi had to get down to the bottom of this Omi corp. matter. And soon.

Tezuka, pushed himself off the bar and moved closer to Kakashi ear.

"Don't give me reason to ask this question again, or I will not handle this matter so lightly. Be sure of that, Mr.Sheng." Tezuka whispered, before walking off.

As Kakashi watched the man walked away, and disappear into the many faces, he couldn't help think about how a pain in the ass that man is going to be.

"That looked like a nice conversation." Mesi appeared out of nowhere to now stand next to the silver haired man, apparently after listening in to the exchange of words between the two.

He sighed." A cockroach has better manners." Mesi let out a soft laugh.

"Probably, but I've never had the pleasure of conversing with one." Kakashi let his head fall back, as the small man took a slip of his drink. "What did he say, if you don't mind me asking of course."

"A shit load of nothing, pretty much sums it up." Kakashi sighed again before turning to the man beside him. "I guess you've determined that somewho, him and I aren't on the best of terms, right."

"Ah, my powers of perception are dazzleing, aren't they?" There was that smirk again.

"Mm." Kakashi nodded, turning back to the crowd below him. "Can i ask you a favour?"

"Hmm, yes of course. What is it." Mesi blinked.

"Can I get a copy of the pictures you've taken of her. All of them?"

"Yeah, sure. But why?"

"No reason." Kakashi shrugged it off.

His eyes drifted like a moth to the flame, until they focused on the pink haired women from his past. She was abostuly plastered, and it was highly doubtful that she would coroperate if Kakashi should deside to leave. But watching her drunk dancing with the men surrounding her, set a strange feeling through his gut.

Was he jealous?

Damnit, this can't be happening. He had to remain strong. Remain angry and bitter.

'She broke your heart, remember that. And she'll just do it again.' Inner Kakashi cautioned. Kakashi agreed with the voice in his head, for once.

"She's not looking to lady like anymore." Mesi commented, his gaze following the silver haired man's until finding what occuplied his attention. Inwardly smiling devilishly.

"Perhaps you should go take the drink away, before she can't stand." Mesi suggested, conviently shortly after saying that Sakura 's legs gave out from underneath her and she fell into a man beside her.

"Too late." kakashi murrmered, but with a sigh, he pushed himself off the railing and and disappeared into the crowd. Reappearing on his decsent down the staircase to the bottom floor.

Sakura's head was spinning, the room felt as if in had suddenly become a merry-go-round without her knowing it. Faces became blurry, no one around her looked familier yet she swore she could feel hands on her body. Many different hands, that reached on her ass and other places which she would usually have taken offence to. But at the moment she didn't care. Let her mind stop thinking, let her inner voice finally shut up. Let him be momentarily forgotten.

Again her legs gave out from underneath her and she un-gracfully fell into a chest, uncontiously dropping her glass to steady herself.

There were muffled voices all around her, but she couldn't make out what they were saying.

She could feel herself being pulled away from her support by other hands which rested on her waist. Blinking back her sight she shifted her gaze upward to see him.

'Damnit.' He won't leave her even for a second.

"Leave me alone, let me go." She slurred, febbally struggling agaisnt his hold on her.

"You need fresh air." He commented, slowly nudging agasint the bodies that blocked his way towards the back doors.

"I need a drink." She drunkinly laughed and reached out to grab a glass from the tray a nearby waiter held. Only to have Kakashi's hand grab her wrist before she could grasp it.

"You not lacking in the drink department." He sighed.

Once outside, Sakura finally shrugged his hands off her body and stumbled forward into the stone seats before her. Feeling around as to where she was, she found the surface and sat down.

Kakashi stuffed his hands into his pockets, watching her feel around where she sat, falling over when she reached to far.

"It's cold out here." Sakura laughed, it was weird. Even if it was a result of the booze, it felt good to laugh again. And once she started she couldn't stop. She started to get up, almost falling from the seat when her legs didn't agree with the movement, but mangaing to regain standing posistion.

"There no achohal out here."He found himself whsipered. Sakura giggled.

"You're so funny, Kakashi." She slurred, pointing her limp hand in what she thought was the direction he was standing in but ending up way off base. " That's what i always loved about you, you-you could always make me...what's the word-laugh!"

Raising her hands above her head towards the sky, she slowly spun around. Smiling as he tongue stuck out as if to catch snowflakes.

"Why aren't you drinking, Kakashi?"She asked, turning her eyes back towards him. " Let me tell you alittle secret.."She leined forward as if to whisper a secret, but that would impossible with the distant between them. "Drinking helps you forget things."

He already knew that. Having spent plenty of nights in the company of a drink, sitting in the same bar stool that he had the pervious night.

"Things like this..." In her mind she had meant to point to her wrist, but completely missed her target and in the motion fell to the floor with a laugh.

Kakashi rolled his eyes, things are getting complicated fast.

Rising to her feet, she looked around as if confused as to where she was.

"I've never been here before." She giggled.

"You're drunk." He stated.

"And you are everything I've thought about for three years." She whispered.

His breath caught in the throat, as the statment begun to set in. What did she just say? Trying deperatly not to react but which the expression of sadness in the pink haired women's face, he knew that his intentions failed. Blinking away the surprise, he quickly shifted his attention elsewhere.

"I thought of what you looked like...I thought of what you tasted like..."She whispered.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when a soft hand touched his face, wide blue eyes jerking suddenly to the person who had somehow closed any distance between them without his knowing. He felt the pounding in his chest, and the thumping of his rapid heart beat echo in his ears. Inhailing a sharp breath he immediatly retreated a few steps from their closeness.

'Calm down, Kakashi.' He demanded of himself.

Sakura couldn't help but blush, in the back of her mind she told herself to shut up, but the drinks had made her bold. Much bolder then she ever thought she could be. The words just kept slipping from her mouth, she having absolutly no control over them. And to add to this most certain crazy behaviour, her body moved on it's own. As if she was watching herself from an out-of-body experience.

"I know that I've fucked everything up for us, and that you hate my guts." She whispered, her voice dark as the night that had fallen around them. "You should!" She gave a curt laugh that periced through her previous low tone."I mean-everyone ..does for fuck sakes!" She laughed, stummbled slightly to the side as her legs felt like jello below her.

Kakashi remained silent, one part of him telling him that he should shut her up and take her home right now, yet the other part telling him to just stay quiet, reamin in the shadows, let her talk. Let her get everything from her chest. Even if it hurt him to hear what she talked about, it hurt him that he wasn't angry with her at this moment. That he actually felt sorry for her, after all she's done.

"They only smile at me cause I'm famous." She spat in anger, clenching her fists at either side, so hard she the nail cut her palm. She didn't feel it. " Everyone's a fake!" She screamed with all of her might.

Heavily breathing followed the outburst, huffs of air clouding in the chill of the night floating up from where Sakura watched the floor. After a second, she rose her gaze from the stone which she stood shaking on, to the man who stood stiff before her.

"Execpt you..." She whispered, taking a step closer to him. Smiling for a second when he didn't move away." It's strange isn't it?"

Kakashi swallowed as she yet again took a bold step forward towards him. Why didn't he move away? His mind told him to go, but his feet reamined froze to the floor which he stood. God damn her, he thought. What is this control she has over him? Is now as if he didn't want to move away.

"It's weird that the only person I trust hates me." Her voice sent shivers down his spine, but thankfully her gaze was completely focused to his eyes which still focused elsewhere, so she didn't notice the slight and brief shake of his body.

All the while he just kept thinking, ' I don't hate you. I can't hate you. I loved you for so long, so deeply. Maybe I still love you even now? I try to hate you but I only end up feeling like this at the end. Please Sakura, let me keep my anger. Please.'

"Thank you..." Kakashi glanced over at her for a split second, upon hearing her words. "...for being honest with me." Then hesitatly glanced back, this time keeping her green eyes in line with his fake blue ones.

"Sakura.." Her name slipped before he knew it.

"..Yes?"She asked, taking a step closer, until they stood inches apart. Her smell entired him, capavating him as it had always done. He could fell the heat from her body, she was so close. He could hear her deep breathing, even if he hardly breahed at all.

Her hand rose to gently cup his jaw line, his skin cold to the touch. But immediatly he could feel her skin against his, making that spot on his body instanstly swarm with heat. In fact his cheeks were burning now. He was blushing.

He felt her hand shift down to his chin then rise so that her fingertips reached against hidden sharigen scar that ran down his left eye. Her touch tickled, it teased him. He couldn't stop himself from wanting more.

'Stop her, Kakashi.' Inner voice demanded. Yet he didn't move to stop her soft caresses.

"Amazing, even the scar is gone.." She whsipered, the warm air brushing against his face. They were so close.

"One of them.." He whispered, yet continued to let her fingers linger. Sakura's eyes started to glaze up, as she softly rubbed her thumb against his lips.

Finally voice of reason spoke up.

"Stop it, Sakura." Letting his eyes drift shut with the circlier motion of her fingertips.

His words fell upon deaf ears, as Sakura consentrated souly on her caresses of his soft face, and soon after that shifting her other hand to reach upon his bold chest. His flinching muscles serving only to draw her in more so, stroking the way his tight, fit body shifted slightly under her touch.

His breath hitched again as her eyes lifted to meer his. Even through the darkness, the look in her eyes gave him two emotions. Fear. That he may never be able to push her away after this night. And desire and his body warmed with each movement. Her green eyes were dark and sinister. Why was she thinking?

He watched in apprehension as she leaned forward to seductivly kiss his chest. Again her scent filled his senses and paralyzed him to turn away.

"Sakura.." This time, when he spoke her name, is was not in an attempt to regain control. But it was as he used to say it. It was the same as if he has returned home from a mission, to find her watching for him. When she would touch his lips, as she does now. As she would start their reunin with a kiss to his body, then move into a deeper touch.

He was losing this battle, with every kiss to his body from her lips, he felt the barriors fall and shatter on the floor by her feet.

"Kakashi.." She whispered between kisses, traveling up from his chest to his neck.

He let out a small exhale, shaking with pent up desire, when her tongue took to slowly stroking and licking his skin.

His hand moved on it's one accord, to reach on the back of her neck, in an attempt to push her closer.

He wanted her to be closer.

He wanted her.

When she finally lifted her gaze to his again, Kakashi immediatly leaned in.

His parted lips brushed against hers, all thought left his mind, all he saw was her.

Slowly, he moved closer to finally close the gap and seal his fate...

When,

She collaspsed in his arms. He quckly caught her body before she fell to the ground, she had passed out.

His mind and voice of reason came rushing back into his head. Screaming and demanding to know..

'What the hell is wrong with you! Have you completely forgottten what she did to you! That's all is takes for forgivness is a simple kiss! What would have happened if she hadn't passed out, huh!'

The thought terrified him. What would have happened if he had truely givin in and kissed her?

Looking down into the blank face in his embrace for a second, he shifted her around till one arm drapped over his shoulder and his wrapped around her waist. He turned to enter the building again.

Monuvering his body and Sakura through the crowd, and ignoring the curious looks given by those who he passed. He approached Mesi who immediatly turned shooked at the current state of Sakura.

"Is she alright?"He couldn't help but give a small laugh.

"Tell Tezuka that I'm taking her home." Kakashi replied, moving past him and towards the door.

"Will do!" Mesi shouted, rubbing the back of his head with a smile.


	12. Sucker for a sweet talker

Loud footsteps pounding against the staircase suddenly snapped Kakashi from his thoughts, as sleep hadn't yet been an option for the wide awake jounin.

His eyes darted above his head, as the presence of a figure outside his door appeared. He shot up, and slowly tossed the covers off his half naked body, pausing when the creek of the mattress echoed in his silent room. He glanced to the ray of light that shot through the space underneath his door, thankful that the presence didn't hear and angrily stomped past his room.

Once the shadow moved away towards Sakura's room at the other end of the long hallway, Kakashi's feet hit the floor and he crept silently towards his door. Opening it just a creek, enough for Kakashi's eyes to glance out into the bright hallway, he immediately saw Tezuka open the door to Sakura's bedroom and slam it behind him.

Curious and anxious as to what could be effecting the man so much at this hour, Kakashi slipped from his room, silently closed the door behind him, and leapt ton top of the railing that protected the staircase. His bare feet chilled against the cold wood, he walked along the path until crouching down just outside Sakura's door, as to not allow his shadow to be seen from underneath the doorframe.

He listened in.

-------

"Sakura, get up!" Tezuka shouted the order, flicking on the light that immediately shot through the pitch black room, lighting up every corner of the large bedroom which Sakura currently tried to sleep in.

She groaned as the unwelcome brightness stung her sore and tired eyes like salt to an open wound and she flinched, wrapping the heavy blanket that surrounded her body up over top of her head.

She had just gotten to sleep after waking up in the car ride home from the hospital, her head resting comfortably on Kakashi's shoulder. She had just enough time to breathe in his scent before passing out to the images of what exactly had taken place that evening.

She had hoped it had all been a dream but the pounding of her head couldn't have been born out of anything besides booze.

'Oh, shit, how much did she have?'

"We need to talk." His voice was stern as he took to pacing the floor at the bottom of the bed.

"..Now? It's 3:00 am...Go back to bed..." She grumbled.

"Have you seen the news lately, Sakura!" Tezuka practically screamed. "Let me give you a sneak peek of the shit storm!'Sakura, top model publicly shit faced at a social gathering!' "

"Stop yelling!" She whined." And no, I have been trying to sleep."

"Of course you fucking alcoholic, but if you were to actually care about your career then maybe you should know how majorly fucked up it is right now!" Tezuka tossed his hands in the air with frustration. It was when he driving home after being told by Mesi that Sakura had been taken home by Tre because she was too drunk to stand, when he first saw the breaking news about ' Wasted Model'.

"What are you talking about, Tezuka?" Sakura finally came to rest upon her forearm as her fingers rubbed her exhausted eyes.

"What's wrong with you? How many drinks did you have?" Tezuka came to face her, hands rested on his hips.

"I...uh... I don't remember." She mumbled, afterwards Tezuka Scoffed.

"How conveinentiate. Well, I don't suppose you remember going home with that son-of-a-bitch!"

Sakura's heart skipped a beat, and she held her breathe for a minute. Her chest constricted, as the breath left her body with a ragged exhale.

'Had he seen her and Kakashi that evening? Oh god, what if he saw her almost kiss him? What is she going to do?'

"I don't know what you're-"

"BULLSHIT! Don't fucking lie to me! I know that he took you home, and I swear to god if he touched you in the car-" Tezuka's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You're paranoid!" She shouted and tossed the sheets back, staggering to her feet she tried to focus upon the figure in her room. Everything was spinning, she felt like she was going to fall any moment, but the sudden anger had reached it's boiling point and she was ready to lose it.

"Am I really? So, you're telling me that you feel nothing for him?" Tezuka asked. Sakura opened her mouth to deny it, but she couldn't. She couldn't lie to him for some reason.

"Why do you hate him so much? He's done nothing but help you and me out around here, yet you act as if he's done the complete opposite!" She frowned.

"Screwing my girlfriend behind my back isn't what I'd call helpful!" He countered. "In fact it's that kind of shit that people get shot for in other cultures!"

"You don't know what you're talking about; I'm not cheating on you!" Sakura scoffed." But what the fuck do you have to say about cheating you god damn Hypocrite!"

"What are you-?"

"Don't play stupid, you self centered asshole! You've been fucking that slut Ansu for years!" Sakura screamed, suddenly feeling extremely light headed and grabbing the bed boards for support.

Tezuka's eyes widen briefly as if a lie had been called out.

"Don't act surprised about this..." She felt hot tears burning her eyes, as she angry told herself not to cry. She would not be the weak link in this relationship anymore, she felt as her limit finally being reached and crossed.

She turned to him with a glare.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!" She shouted. "Do I really look that desperate as to stay and love you no matter what you do! That you can just walk all over me and I'll lie down and take it like your other bitch! Well you can't! Not anymore. No one's going to hurt me again, do you understand!" She screamed. For far to long she'd wished for this strength.

All her life she was the weak one, but not anymore.

"Sakura, please... Just listen..." Tezuka took a step further, as his voice switched from a rough tone to soothing She shifted away.

"Don't. Don't you dare Tezuka! Have you heard anything I've said? You can't make this all better with an apology-"

"Then how about a ring?" She immediately froze where she stood. Mouth agape as the words melted away into nothing, along with any thought process. Blinking, as she began to register what had just been offered, her mind began to real at a sudden and a thousand thoughts popped into her head but all she managed to get out was…

"..W-what?" She whispered.

Tezuka knelled at her feet and took her limp hand in his own, slipping a huge diamond ring around her finger.

"Sakura..." He replied.

FLASHBACK

_"Sakura..." Kakashi whispered, his warm hand gently clasping hers as he knelt before her._

END FLASHBACK

"..Will..."

FLASHBACK

_"..You marry..." Her heart thumped so loudly in her chest that she had trouble hearing him._

END FLASHBACK

"..Me?" Tezuka whispered.

She didn't speak for what seemed like an hour, she couldn't. All breath had left her the moment he kneeled. 'No...This is wrong.' She thought. 'This is almost exactly the way he proposed.' Kakashi...What should she say? She had some feelings for Tezuka...but nothing as she felt for Kakashi. She loved the silver haired man from her past, but cared for Tezuka. There was a difference. Should she say no even though her mind is saying to (this could after all be what it takes to forget her past lover for good). Or should she say yes. Even when her heart is screaming, No you can't! Kakashi still loves you. You need to go to him. Beg for forgiveness...

"Tezuka..." She whispered.

"Yes..?"

"...you're un-fucking-believable." She snapped, and ripped her hand from his and stormed off angrily into the bathroom.

Locking the door behind her, after giving it a good slam shut, she breathlessly slide to the floor against the door frame. Her chest felt heavy and she had great difficultly breathing. Inhaling huge gulps of air in an attempt to catch her breath, her eyes caught the glimmer of a stone.

Glancing down, she saw the out of place ring stationed on her normally bare fingers.

Shocking back a sob, she covered the ring with her other hand, taking it out of her line of sight. Her eyes shifted upwards.

FLASHBACK

_"Yes..." She cried. "Yes. A thousand times, yes!" She sobbed and leapt into his open arms. Her face colliding with his bold chest, the comforting heat that he always seemed to give off giving refuge to her tears of joy. His long arms encircled her slender body as they hand down so many times before, crushing every inch of space between them out as both bodies pressed together with a welcomed passion._

_She could feel his nose nuzzle into her neck, and his warm breath drift over her skin. She could feel his heart warming smile, as his parted lips and independent tongue kiss her neck with every inch of his mouth._

_She sniffled, and reluctantly pulled back._

_"I'm sorry if the ring's not all that expensive, but-" She silenced his with a light touch to his bare lips._

_"It's doesn't matter. It's perfect." She smiled._

_He smiled back at her, and ran a thumb over her cheek to brush away the tears. She gave a short laughed, and hung her head._

_"I love you." He whispered, lifted her glaze up with a light tap upon her chin._

_"I love you so much..." She sobbed._

_His lips clashed against hers._

END FLASHBACK

Sobs over took her at the memory, yet it somehow brought a smile to her face.

His ring was so simple, a beautiful golden band. Yet the meaning and utter sincerity of his gesture could have made a dollar store mood ring seem like a $20000 one.

Tezuka on the other hand had given her the most expensive ring in the whole damn country.

Did he mean it as much as Kakashi had?

"Sakura?" The voice which called her from the other side wasn't who she'd expected.

"Kakashi?" She whispered, moving off the floor to open the door a crack.

His eyes were cast to the side yet he addressed her none the less. His mask was once again up around his face and the headband covering the sharigan. Just as if had always been.

"I'm going out. I'll be back soon." He replied.

Sakura's eyes drifted downwards as she stepped out of the bathroom, knowing that Tezuka had long since left.

"Oh...ok." She whispered, her eye focused on the floor, and her hands folded behind her back as if the all seeing eyes of the copy ninja would miss the huge diamond ring on her finger which wasn't there before. "Did you...hear...all that?" She whispered, her eyes glancing up at him for a second before turning back to the floor.

He paused, and remained silent, till she spoke again.

"Of course you did." She chuckled for a second, but it held no joy." Ok..."

He nodded slowly, almost to himself, before shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants. Setting his jaw he proceeded towards the door, knowing all to well that the green eyes of the women behind him watched his every move.

"I'm leaving a clone. And a few watch dogs around the parameter, just in case." He replied as his hand reached for the door.

"Ok." He heard the whisper behind him.

He felt the cold doorknob on the palm of his hand, but for some reason the act of turning it came as a difficult idea.

'I know what you're thinking, Kakashi! But you better not say anything!'

Inner Kakashi screamed.

"Sakura..." His voice came out strained and the simple name which he had spoken so much in the past had to be forced now.

Upon hearing her name, the exhausted girl glanced up to look to where he stood frozen.

"..Yes?" She asked.

'God, just shut up Kakashi! You're just going to hurt yourself!'

'Don't say it!'

"Are you going to marry him?" He rushed out the scramble of words before returning to dead silence.

Sakura stood there frozen. That question had been nothing like what she had expected him his to say, in fact this was in a whole other universe right now.

She couldn't help but wonder...why does he care? He's always made is absolutely clear to her what his feelings were. Hate being the main one. Why was he suddenly so ...dare she say jealous? No, it's not that extreme. But one thing was clear...there was a chance he still cared for her.

The idea was fresh, especially after spending almost three weeks with a man who you daily fight with. But it was a much welcomed one too.

"...Do you want me to marry him?" Sakura whispered, fearing that she was pushing too much into a subject that was still very touchy.

Kakashi couldn't help but give a curt laugh." What a stupid question." Yet his still felt the grip upon the cold steal of the door tighten.

"If...you..." Sakura began." If you say...no...I won't." She said carefully, chancing a timid glance towards the man she so longed to speak the words she asked.

'Just say it, Kakashi.' She thought. 'Just say, no Sakura, I don't want you to marry him.' She wanted him to say it so badly.

But without giving a response, Kakashi quickly opened the door and stepped out.

"Kakashi!" Sakura called as she ran towards the door after him. Stepping out, she turned to watch him descend down the stairs and out of view

"Wait! Kakashi wait!" She pleaded but she heard the rustle of a back pack and the opening and closing of the front door.

She sighed heavily and fell back against the wall.

'Maybe I did rush him.' She thought.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kakashi tossed the bag of his shoulder and slipped both arms into the straps, before increasing his speed and shooting through the trees of the estate.

He ran for a good two hours non-stop. It wasn't as if he actually wanted to rush towards the awaiting mission concerning Omi Corp., it was more like running from his other one. Lord knows, he needed a break. Never before had a mission been so damn stressful before this one. Matters of the heart were notorious for being harder to deal with then that of the physical body.

This was not what a Ninja should feel.

He felt helpless.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Like a bullet, Kakashi shot across brief plain of coverless land, to a conveniently placed shrub which provided the jounin with a hiding place.

Glancing up, the huge Omi building rose from the ground behind the large barb wired fence, to tower into the pitch black sky and seems to fade off into nothingness. To his left was two guards, they was retreating into further from where Kakashi hid to do their regular rounds, so the jounins' presence wasn't felt. Even though Kakashi highly doubted the two being shinobis.

To his right, however, were three which he would have to be extremely cautious around. They were ninja, no doubt about it. He could tell by their Chakra activity, shinobi's life energy being more centered and controlled than a normal civilian.

They were stationed by the only exit and entrance into the jailed property. This made it extremely difficult to penetrate the gate. But not impossible. All he needed was a little help.

Bingo. Just as he thought of exactly what could help him out in his time of need, a mental image of just what he thought of appeared down the road.

A carrier truck. Timing was perfect, and Kakashi couldn't help but think how damn lucky he was. It was about time he had some luck on his side.

The tires of the monster truck kicked out the pebbles of the road as it approached the gate, and as one guard stood out and gestured it to stop it followed orders and slowed to a stop before hitting the man who stood out in front.

The guard moved around to the driver's door as the truck driver opened it and stepped out onto the road.

He was a thin man, and very lean. He couldn't have been any taller then Naruto when he was Sixteen, but he looked as if he was in his mid thirties.

"Lift you arms, keep your hands in sight." The guard replied. The driver did as requested, and kept silent as the guard searched him.

Finding a wallet, the guard deemed the ID valid and stopped the search.

The other two guards moved around to the back of the truck and un-latched the doors.

They lifted with a whoosh, and revealed plant life in the bunched.

One guard lifted himself up into the holding platform, and began sweeping his hands across the leaves of each plant he passed.

Finally, after finding nothing unusual, he jumped off the truck and together the guards re-latched the doors.

The driver pulled to a stop just before a large loading platform in the basement level of the building, and turned off the ignition.

Humming a soft tune to himself, he jumped down from the driver's seat and moved around the back of the truck. Unlatching the doors, he heaved them open, just to jump back in surprise when a small dog jumped from the darkness and ran off down the loading dock.

"Jesus Christ." The driver cursed and tried to regain from the shock.

The dog ran into a safe corner, completely out of the eyes of anyone, and suddenly '_poofed_' into the silver haired jounin himself.

Remaining knelled in all fours for a moment, to be sure no one saw, before rising to his full height of 6.3. He rotated his stiff shoulders till a pop could be heard, then quickly switched to serious mode again.

He could see the truck driver in the distance unloading the cargo, and a single guard exit through the metal doors to supervise the activity. He wasn't ninja.

Once again, there was only one way into the actual building from here, and he would have to have perfect timing if he didn't want to get caught.

He waited till the driver was seen entering through the doors, and the guard followed him before making his move.

The ex-Anbu member sprinted across the empty cargo bay till reaching the doors where the driver and guard disappeared into.

He pressed his ear against the door, and listened carefully for any sounds. He first heard two pairs of footsteps retreating deeper away from him. Then he heard doors swing open, and close.

Then silence.

He reached into his back pack and pulled out a paperclip. Snapping it into two pieces, he skillfully fettled with the lock until it allowed him to enter the once locked door.

He stepped into a long, empty hallway that ended a few feet away at another set of doors.

Knelling down, he shut the way he had entered again to see if anything happened. Nothing changed.

He pressed his cheek to the stone floor and didn't see any wires or traps of any kind.

But just to be safe, he crumpled up the paperclip in his hands and tossed it into the empty hallway.

Immediately Kunai shot through the walls and pierced the empty hallway and once again stick into the opposite walls.

Frowning, Kakashi arose to his feet again.

He figured it must be the sensors on the walls that se the trap in motion, and the only way to disable them was to enter a password in the control panel on the wall beside his head.

Now, what could the password be? The possibilities were infinite, and he didn't have the time to sit there and try each of them hoping that the wrong entries wouldn't get him killed.

So instead he quickly lifted his headband and activated the sharigan. Immediately, the eyes began to sting like crazy, but fortunately it wasn't nearly as bad as in had been. Without a second to spare and his sharigan ability already acting up, he scanned the insides of the control panel for the wires which were meant to activate the code is entered correctly. He spotted them and the numbers which accompanied them.

His fingers rapidly entered the code and to his relief the light turned from red to green and gained him access.

Slipping the headband over his eyes again, he ran down the hallway to the door at the end and disappeared behind it

* * *

Sakura rolled over onto her other side in an attempt to sleep, but nothing would work. Her body screamed sleep but her mind was just far to active to allow it.

Her thoughts of Kakashi clouded her mind. What was she going to do? She was engaged now, to another man. Tezuka. He may be an asshole sometimes, especially when it came to Kakashi, but for a brief time she actually thought she was in love with this man. She actually thought that marrying him wasn't such a bad thought two years ago. But now, she didn't know what to think.

Then there was Kakashi. Her first real love, not a crush like she had with Sasuke, but the first person she had Real feelings for. He was there when she lost her parents on a mission. He was the one she first broke down and cried in front of when she didn't trust. They were engaged for a month three years ago, and if things had been different, she would have already been married to him. And when Tezuka regularly cheats on her, Kakashi was always faithful, even when she left him broken hearted.

She wanted so badly to tell him why she left, to make him understand to and extent why she had to do what she did. But then again would he really understand? That was the thing that kept her from spilling her secret. The fear that he would reject her reasons.

That he would call her a 'stupid little girl' and turn away forever.

She just couldn't handle that.

Sighing, she turned onto her back and started up at the ceiling.

"Sakura!" A friendly voice called to her from beside the bed.

Gasping in surprise, she tossed back the blankets and hopped onto her knees.

"Who's there?" She shouted into the darkness of her room.

"Stop screaming." Another voice snapped.

"We're down here Sakura!"

Hesitantly, Sakura leaned over to glance down beside her bed.

There she saw Pukka and Saki, two of Kakashis' summoning dogs which he must have left to guard her in his absence.

"Pukka, Saki nice to see you again." Sakura smiled, as the two dogs leapt onto her mattress.

"Where have you been, Sakura? We've missed you?" Saki replied waving his tail madly as she began to pet his smooth fur.

"I've missed you two as well." Sakura turned to pat the stubborn dog Pukka on his head, knowing full well that he distasted it.

"Kakashi-san never mentioned where you went." Pukka replied, swatting away her hand.

"No. That's because he didn't know." Sakura whispered, letting her hands fold into her lap.

"Why did you leave?" Saki asked with a pout.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "But I can't tell you."

"But I thought you were going to marry Kakashi-san? Didn't you love him?" Saki asked.

"Shut up baka-Saki!" Pukka hissed. "Kakashi-san told us never to ask these things."

"Kakashi?" Sakura whispered. "Did he… ever talk about me?"

"Not after you disappeared, no. He never spoke of you to anyone. Not ever his most loyal companions." Pukka replied.

"I see."

"He became different." Pukka whispered.

"It was as if he put a wall up to everyone. No one was allowed in. He was cold to us. Never summoning us like he used to. I was sad." Saki rubbed his eyes with his paw.

"I'm sorry. I loved you guys, and Kakashi. But I had to leave. I never meant to hurt everyone." Sakura reached out to stroke his soft head.

"But you're here now!" Saki smiled. "Things can go back to the way things were. You, Kakashi-san and us."

"It's not that simple, Saki." Sakura whispered. "Too many things have been damaged these three years."

"But that's all over now, right Sakura? Kakashi loves you and you can come back and-."

"Kakashi, did he say he loved me?" Sakura asked eager to know that answer.

"He doesn't have to say it, Sakura." Pukka replied. "You should know that Kakashi-san isn't that kind of man, he has his pride. But he'll show you his true feelings."

Sakura suddenly recalled all those times she caught him looking at her, and all those times when he looked away when she gazed at him. Maybe Pukka was telling the truth. Maybe Kakashi really did love her still.

Sakura smiled wholeheartedly.

"That's good." She whispered.

"Get some sleep, Sakura. We'll watch over you." Pukka replied.

She nodded, and slipped back under the covers. Rolling on her side, she smiled and let her eyes shut.


	13. Pardon me while I burst

Kakashi moved as if he had cat in his veins, his body pressed tight against the wall he currently knelt upon, just enough to be out of view of the office window just above his head.

He listened carefully to the murmuring voices coming from inside the room.

"..Working till one tomorrow."

"Yeah I know what you mean, all the trainees have gone home for the night and yet they still need us? Bullshit. It's not like they have anything worth stealing in this place…" The two chatter on with one another, give absolutely no good leads to Kakashi as to where his search should begin for any significant files or photos or anything of that matter.

He needs to report to Keiichi tomorrow, and without any hard proof of the banished Ninja hideout, it would be good.

Glancing quickly over the windowsill to see if the two men weren't looking, he scanned the room for any photos which would serve to help him copy identity and infiltrate the room.

When know could be vision from where he knelt, he went into plan B.

…

…

The two men startled at the sudden knock at the door.

"Who is it?" One called.

"It's me, get off you fat asses and open the door!" Kakashi yelled with a voice not his own.

The two merely looked at each other with questioning glances.

"Who's me?" The other asked

"It's Keiichi you assholes! Now open the god damned door!"

"Right away, sir!" One cried and leapt from his seat and frantically scramble to the door in fear that the man behind it might grow angrier still.

"Sorry sir, we weren't expecting you." The other bowed respectively as the young council head stepped through the door in a respective black and white suit.

"I don't have to tell two security guards my schedule, but who were you expecting if not me?" Kakashi questioned in his new identity.

"Nobody, sir. But we expected you had gone home already?"

'Gotcha.' Kakashi inwardly smiled.

"Gone home? What are you talking about?" Kakashi asked as he slipped past the two men to the desk cluttered with paper.

Once again the two glanced at each other confused.

"But sir, you just left." One replied said

Kakashi turned to glance at the two in mild surprise. Keiichi just left? What was he doing here in the first place?

"I have a terrible memory, far too many things that need remembering. What was I here for again?" Kakashi asked as he turned back the clutter of papers, scanning the desk for anything worth keeping for future uses.

He found a list of expenses for last year and quickly pocketed the paper before anyone was the wiser.

"With all due respect, sir…" One began.

"What is it?" Kakashi continued with his search, finding a document about the identities of all the trainees enlisted in the last few months, and pocketing that one too.

"You told us that if you ever conveniently forgot, that you're presence right now is not yourself." The other replied rather darkly.

'Damn it' Kakashi inwardly sighed, predicting an inevitable battle ahead.

"Are you saying that I'm not who I say I am?" Kakashi inquired with a short laugh, and turned around to face them. Only to have Kunai pointed him with the user fully ready to use it when necessary.

"That's exactly what we're saying." One snapped.

"You fuck faces, put those damn things down!" Kakashi ordered, putting his hands up in the air all the same, putting his acting skills to the test and hiding his extremely calm and collected inner self, with a less calm and nervous outer.

"The real Keiichi would know the answer to this question." One replied.

"Ok shoot." Kakashi shrugged, but suddenly reached his hands out as if to get the words he had just spoke back. "NOT …literally of course." That wouldn't be good he inwardly chuckled with some of his old humor.

"Which weighs more, a pound of feathers or a pound of gold?" One asked.

'Ahh shit, a riddle.' Kakashi inwardly sighed, cursing his life long distaste for such brain teasers which at this moment, had chosen to work against him.

"Well let's see now..." Kakashi pretended to be in heavy thought. "The weight of a tree is 5 times more the weight of a duck, divided by the ration of dirt by..."

He was cut off when his fist collided with one of the guards' jugular, immediately setting him into a state of unconsciousness, and skillfully reaching across to his companion and snapping his neck with one hard twist, killing him instantly.

The two fell to the floor by his feet in a heap of limp bodies.

'Shit,' He really didn't want to have any confrontation but unfortunately, the sudden extremely sensitive situation called for such a solution.

He quickly went back to searching the office in fear that sooner rather then later some innocent security guard will stumble upon his two companions and the ninja who had set them in the state they are now in.

'Checks, something very useless, signatures...' He mentally listed off the items he held his hand, but found nothing popped as something which could be of use to him. He slide over to the desk which the two had been sitting at, and opened the drawer.

'Tic-tacs', photos…wait a second." He paused when something caught his eye, reaching inside he pulled out a stack of photos.

He knelt behind the desk as to be out of view to anyone who should walk past the window, and pulled the two bodies into hiding as well. He glanced at all the photos, one by one.

None of them caught his eye until one.

"What's this?" He whispered out loud, and held up one photo in particular featuring a very well known and very dangerous banished ninja by the name of Ishima.

Twisting the photo around to the back, he saw the date as two years after Ishima was pronounced as such from his home land of Ice country.

Satisfied with what he had found he decided to pocket all the photos incase other ninjas would appear on those he didn't look upon.

Glancing over to his shoulder past the desk he spotted a very brief streak of movement before the hallway once again became deserted.

Frowning, he knew that somehow the guards had called the alarm without his notice and now lord knows how many ninjas were waiting for his exit to kill him on the spot.

He glanced over to the door knowing that that was the only way in or out and was undoubtedly swarming with enemies and trained ones at that. No normal civilian moved as that body had, and you just don't plainly send a simple security guard to handle a ninja.

He had only a few moments to calculate a plan of escape and only a few ways in which to carry it out.

He set his hands together and rapidly performed a series of seals at a speed not abnormal to the jounin of leaf, and instantly a clone popped next to him. Wasting no time in what little time limit he had before the ninja raided him, he masked that clone as a mirror of Keiichi. Then he quickly performed another set of seals and masked his real body as a stray piece of paper which had been discarded on the floor.

His clone leapt up onto the ceiling and after opening the titles, escaped through the vents above.

So sooner then the clone had made its' attempt at escaping, the room swarmed with enemy ninja.

"Follow him!" One shouted and sent at least three ninjas after the clone which Kakashi had created.

"You go around to the right! You to the left! Move out!" And no sooner then they had appeared in the room they had departed. This left Kakashi once again alone with the apparently unimportant dead/unconscious guards that he had taken care of only minutes before hand.

His body snapped from the disguise and he took off out the door in a blur of speed.

* * *

Sakura's head lifted from the pillow when she heard the ever so fate sound of the front door opening. She couldn't tell if it was Kakashi returning from his leave of absence or Tezuka returning for round two in a verbal shouting match.

She could felt Pakkun and Saki stir from their light sleep next to her legs at the same sound that she had heard.

"Who is it?" She whispered to Pakkun.

"Kakashi-san." He mumbled and shifted closer to her leg wanting more sleep.

She slipped out of bed, letting Pakkun and Saki's head fall with the sudden absence of her legs. Pakkun glanced up at Sakura with an impatient glare, Saki of the other hand just rolled over onto his back and spoke of cupcakes in his dreams.

She patted over to the door silently and creaked open the once shut exit. Sure enough as she glanced down over the railing to the bottom floor, she could instantly see his silver hair through the darkness of the house at night

He didn't look injured or anything like that, from the mission she knew he went on his three hour leave of absence. But she saw him rubbing the back of his neck to relieve pressure from the sore spot and limping ever so slightly towards the kitchen.

She quietly moved down the hall towards the stairs, and once she heard the kitchen light being flicked on, she made her way down the staircase to the bottom floor.

The tiles were chilled against her bare feet and she folded her arms over her chest as a shiver over took her body. As she rounded the corner into the kitchen, she saw him sitting on the couch….well not sitting but slouching is more of an actuate description.

He turned his lazy tired eye towards her presence the moment she came into view, and then sharply turned it away again. He was tired and not in the mood for any conflict between himself and the pink haired girl.

"Are you alright?" She whispered, her voice piercing the quite house.

_Drink up, baby down.  
Mmm, are you in or are you out?  
Leave your things behind,  
'Cause it's all going off without you._

He didn't respond verbally, but gave a short nod of his head, hoping that she wouldn't pressure any further. He should have known better.

"Are you sure, I saw you were limping and there could be some miner damage to your knee…" Sakura was interrupted.

"I'm sure." He sighed. "It's only a scratch."

Sakura swallowed, not really accepting his answer, but deciding not to make him too angry by pushing him to the point that he finally snaps.

_Excuse me, too busy. _

_You're writing your tragedy.  
These mishaps,  
You bubble wrap,_

"What to tell me what happened?" She reasoned and slide past the chair he was sitting on to the one opposite and sat with her knees curled up to her chest.

"..No." He whispered, and leaned back to take out the items he had stole from Omi Corp. from his breast pocket and set them on the table in front of him.

Sakura sighed softly and glanced over to her left, thinking of what to say for a moment, before whispering…

"I don't want to argue anymore, Kakashi." She glanced up to see his masked face again. He, unfortunately, had turned his head to such an angle that his eyes where cast elsewhere and out of view.

_When you've no idea what you're like._

"We're not arguing, Sakura." He whispered.

"Then why can't you look at me?" She asked the question that she thought was innocent enough, but when Kakashi's eyes turned from wherever they were once focused on to directly at hers she knew that it wasn't so innocent. "Kakashi," She shook her head, "I..."

"It's late Sakura." Kakashi sighed, exhausted. Both physically and mentally exhausted.

_So let go, let go._

_Jump in.  
Oh well, whatcha waiting for?  
It's alright._

"I know." She whispered, turning her gaze back down to the floor. "But I want to talk to you…" She whispered in such a small voice that he paused and once again turned to her. "About the party…I'm sorry if I made you…uncomfortable, I didn't mean to let things go that far so soon. I just wanted to apologize." She replied.

The near kiss did surprise him and make him extremely uncomfortable, but a part of him… A huge part of him wanted so badly to feel her lips against his again. He would have kissed her if she hadn't passed out when she did, that much he was sure of.

"Forget about it. It was just a mistake." He replied and rose to his feet with full intent of going to bed.

"Mistake?" Sakura repeated, "I may have been drunk but I knew exactly what I was doing." She stood up, telling herself to stay strong even though she felt weak in the knees around him.

"You don't know what you're doing now-" He stopped mid sentence with a firm yet gentle hand reached out to take a hold of his forearm, his feet froze in their attempt to escape and seemed to turn to jelly under such a pure an innocent touch as the one he felt.

But the rest of his body became rigged as a board, and his breathing froze.

She wasn't drunk now…but would she still try to kiss him? What if those hands move deeper and deeper into his body and soul? What if he couldn't push her away?

_'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown._

"What…would you say if I asked you …not to go?" She whispered behind him.

"Sakura.." His voice had a hint of warning, almost as if he was trying to make her see what was to come ahead, that maybe he would kiss her before she had a chance to kiss him.

"I refuse to believe that I'm the only one feeling like this. There is…some attraction and feelings between us…Isn't there?" Sakura began, keeping her hand on his arm in fear that if she let go he would walk away.

"Sakura…" His voice stood firm with warning and slight fear.

"Do you want me to marry Tezuka?" She repeated her previous question.

_It gains the more it gives,  
And then it rises with the fall.  
So hand me that remote.  
Can't you see that all that stuff's a sideshow?_

"It's not up to me." He whispered, and turned away, her hand still clasped against his arm.

"I don't love him…I love you." Sakura said boldly. Kakashi's heart instantly dropped in his chest, and his eyes went wider in surprise. 'No…she's lying…she doesn't love me. She just wants forgiveness.'

"Jesus Christ Sakura!" He snorted harshly and ripped her hand from contact, maybe harder then he had first intended, spinning around to force his hardest glare down at the small women before him. "What's wrong with you?"

"I just want-" She began with tears threatening to run down her cheeks at the man's outburst.

"That's it! You want this, you want that. Come on Sakura when did you ever think of anyone but yourself!" He didn't know why he was yelling, or why now of all times to suddenly show a reaction to her words, but there he was none the less.

Sakura shook her head with a sob "I thought of you, Kakashi. I've always though of you." She whispered.

"Bullshit, Sakura." Kakashi snapped and turned to leave.

_Such boundless pleasure,  
We've no time for later now.  
You can't await your own arrival,  
You've 20 seconds to comply._

"Please, Kakashi wait!" She screamed and ran past him to block his way. "I don't want to fight with you anymore!" She had a pleading look in her eyes and her words that Kakashi almost felt was genuine.

"Well maybe I enjoy fighting with you!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, angry that she still tries to deceive him, but more angry at himself for still loving her to death. "Maybe I don't want to keep all these goddamn feelings inside about how much I hated you and loathed you for what you did! Maybe I just like making you feel like shit!"

"You may be very angry with me and loathe me as much as you say you do but I know you feel something for me. What we had is something that can never just disappear! It can't cease to be just because of what I did-"

"You left me in the middle of the night with nothing more then I note on my pillow saying 'I'm sorry'! It's fair to say that we can't be as we used to be." Kakashi snapped and moved to step around her only to have her once again shift to block her way.

_So let go, let go._

_Jump in.  
Oh well, whatcha waiting for?  
It's alright_.

"Why not? I'm sorry for what I did, I know that it was wrong but I had no other chose. Kakashi please understand that I hated leaving you, I loved you with every inch of my heart!"

"I loved you the same and you fucking broke mine!" He glared down at her with all his worth, but his gaze flickered with lack of anger at the utter and complete sadness painted on her face.

"Please if you only knew why I left, you'd…." She faded off and turned her gaze down to the floor, wanting so badly to tell him why she had to do what she did, but hating the fact he she couldn't.

"I'd what?" Kakashi sighed, she didn't reply. "No, you started this now tell me."

"You'd hate me even more." Her voice cracked with fresh tears. "Be more disgusted with me then you can imagine." She sobbed. Kakashi stood there silently blinking and awaiting her to continue. "I couldn't look at you again if you knew my secret, I just couldn't…."

"…Did you cheat on me?" He swallowed the lump in his throat. That was want he had always dreaded to be the reason she had left. Being unfaithful and running away from her mistake.

"No!" She furiously cried and madly shook her head, pleading for him to believe her. "I told you I loved you with all of my heart and only you!"

"Then…what?" He whispered, almost dreading the answer.

"I'm so sorry." She sobbed and buried her face in her hands as her shoulder violent shook. Kakashi's deep breathes were drowned out by her cries of sorrow, and he stood where he was and silently watched her.

"Whatever Sakura. Let's just forget it and we can all go back to when I didn't matter." He sighed and tried to move around her, again to have her suddenly jar from her sobs to collide with his chest as her arms around and held him tightly.

_'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown._

"But you do matter!" She cried. "I love you and you're all that matter to me!"

Kakashi squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to hold onto anger that he felt slipping away due to her touch. The smell of her hair filled his senses and melt his body instantly melt against hers even though his mind was screaming at him to push her away.

"Sakura…" He whispered, forcing, with all his might, to keep his arms from snaking around her body and holding her closer.

"Please, say that you love me too. Please." He heard her mumble into his chest.

"Sakura…please let me keep my anger…" Kakashi pleaded with her.

"I love you." Sakura whispered and squeezed tighter into his chest

Suddenly he felt something deep inside him snap and with lightning speed he pushed both their bodies to the wall beside them. Causing a gasp to escape from her lips when her back collided with the hard surface, and when she looked up at his face she saw a weird expression.

He was frowning like he was angry with her, but something in his eyes read something else.

Lust.

His forceful hands snaked up to either side of her neck and held her there in place as he brought his lips inches apart from kissing hers. She awaited the contact for a moment, and felt as if he was having an all out war inside of his head as to go through with this breach of contact he made to hate her forever.

Her eyes widened with surprise when he let out a heavy sigh and slide his hands from her neck to rest upon the wall beside her head, the motion to not kiss her had won.

"I want to kiss you because I love you, no matter how much I try not to…I do" He whispered. He heart soar.

'He loves me'

"..But my entire being is separated into opposite sides as to if I should just kiss you here and now." He whispered, his gaze turned down and she couldn't see his eyes. "But do you know the deciding factor that insures that I won't?"

Sakura didn't reply. She just watched as his gaze lifted to hers, and was chilled by the icy stare he gave to her.

"It's because you hurt me deeper then any Kunai, sword or Jutsu could ever hope to."  
And with that he withdrew his hands from either side of her head and disappeared down the hallway, leaving Sakura to once again burst into sobs.

New chappy!

Oh the drama! Me likey Drama!

**Review!**


	14. The Greatest Fall Of all Time

He left before she had even woken up and before she could open her eyes and see him as what he was at that moment. Which happened to be a perfect example of a mess. A total and utter mess from head to toe.

Lack of sleep made his head ache like a hammer had been taken to his skull while he was tune out and stripped the idea to actually comb his hair from his mind. Not that he normally combed his hair anyway, mind you. So, instead he just left it as it was. His eyes were far more lazy then usual (if that was possible) and the Sharigan felt like it was on fire and he knew that it was going to ache and torment him all day. He even had half a mind to request that Sakura try to heal it before yesterday had taken place. But now he wouldn't dream of talking to her, let alone asking a favor.

He didn't have the strength to face her today. Not after what had happened yesterday at the party, but most importantly because of what happened last night. He couldn't look at her after what he had said and what he had told her. Things that he had sworn never to tell another person, especially not the one who had made those feeling come to life. But he had.

She had yelled and screamed at the top of her lungs that she loved him and it had taken everything he had inside just to restrain him self from making that biggest mistake of his life and kiss the women who left him three years ago with nothing. But how he had wanted to kiss her. Just to taste her again drove him mad and stripped his body and mind from sleep afterwards.

He dreaded what that meant though. 'He wanted to kiss her.' Does it mean that he had forgiven her for her mistakes? No, he still felt resentment towards her for leaving him three years ago. More so after she tried and almost succeeded in robbing him of his anger.

Or does it mean that he had finally given into the fact that he still loved her. Completely and with all of his body loved her to death. And he had told her that. Shit, he had verbally said that he still loved her to her face. And even worse was that it wasn't a lie. He had lied to her many, many times in the past so why did he choose now of all times to express his hidden feelings?

Was it because she had said that she he loved him? Did he feel like he had to be true to her as well? Wait, what says that she was telling him the truth? Sakura was the sneakiest person he knew, and had fooled him with those words 'I love you' before. What makes this time so different?

But she said it killed her to have to leave him the first time. Maybe the tears weren't as deceiving as he had thought in the beginning of the mission.

Although, even after he had asked her, she still wouldn't tell him the real reason she left in the first place. She said it didn't result of cheating then guilt of what she had done afterwards, then again Sakura did had a tendency to lie on more then one occasion. Her job as a ninja required it as well as her nature of a woman. Kakashi found himself bitter in that aspect.

But now he had other things to do, so with all his will he pushed the thought of the pink haired girl from his mind and concentrated on the matters at hand.

Keiichi had ordered him to gather evidence of Banished ninja's hiding in Omi Company's walls under the noses of the head council himself, Grass and Leaf country. After getting this evidence, Kakashi was to immediately report to the young head council member with the evidence and await further orders.

That was where he was headed to now. With the list of item orders and pictures of missing ninja like Ishima and probably more in his pocket, he leapt over to the tall building which was to hold his meeting with Keiichi.

"Hatake Kakashi here for my meeting with Keiichi-San." Kakashi replied to the guard inside the building.

"Very well, step through." He replied and moved so the copy ninja could strip his kunai and weapons from his vest and pouch before stepping through past the gate.

Reaching Keiichii's office was simple enough. Just look for the largest door and biggest office space and you're looking at the Head council's room.

Knocking on the wood frame, he heard a muffled 'Come in' sound from inside the room, and turned to knob to step through the door.

The young man sat at his desk and immediately glanced up to see the silver haired ninja enter, before glancing back down at his work.

"Come closer, Hatake." He ushered the visitor forward towards his desk, and allowed him to take a seat in one of the chairs before him.

"Morning." Kakashi replied, not bothering to hide his extreme sarcasm for the word.

"Hard night?" Keiichi sighed, and signed his signature on the line.

"Like you wouldn't believe." He murmured. "But I got what you ask for."

"Did you?" Keiichi asked and outreached a hand to take the evidence which Kakashi had apparently found. The silver haired man mentally sighed, remembering how extremely rude the boy could be, but slipping out what he asked for all the same.

"Let's see." Her mumbled and took a moment to glance over what had been presented in silence.

Kakashi lead back in his chair and waiting patiently for the boy to approve what evidence he had found at Omi Company yesterday.

"What's this?" He asked and held up a picture of Ishima for the copy ninja to elaborate upon.

"A banished ninja named Ishima, missing for two years before that picture was taking from his home land of Ice country." Kakashi confirmed. "I'm sure that more of these ninja will turn up in those photos, but what I can't figure out is why they would have them just lying around like they were. Surely if their smart enough to run this business without anyone knowing then they can find a better hiding spot."

"Ninja have a tendency to think too hard on the stuff that matter and not the smaller things which in the end are as important as any." Keiichi commented with a sigh and continued to flip through the photos.

Kakashi showed no reaction to the boys' opinions, not that Keiichi would have enough seen with his head so pushed up against the pictures. He just found himself thinking 'how the hell would you know about what ninja think?'

"Good." He replied and set the evidence down on his desk, before picking up the list of expenses which Kakashi had swiped from the training facility. "What's this?"

"Expenses from last year. More Kunai have been ordered to that address in these last few months then in the whole term of the buildings existence. As well as blank scrolls; ninja wiring and most importantly large upgrades to the basement level and first floor, increasing its width to nearly two times its original size."

"Smells like a rat." Keiichi commented.

"Smells like immediate disbanding and serious jail time around the world, to me. But I may just have a different nose." Kakashi sighed. "There's also a list of training registered in the last year under the paper you have now."

Keiichi slide the expenses out of his hand to focus on the other evidence.

"This time they at least try to hide the evidence against them by not listing Ishima's name with the other trainees, but unfortunately they instead put a name that incriminates them all the same." Kakashi replied.

"Myki?" Keiichi questioned.

"The name of a fellow Ice ninja that died nearly twenty years ago, his corpse washed up on the shore line when Ishima only ten and the now banished ninja took on that name back when he was a boy." Kakashi concluded. "It's been recorded from Leaf missions that whoever comes across this ninja is requested to call him by his alter name. I myself haven't had that pleasure."

"I see. And how do you know this?" Keiichi inquired lifting his gaze to meet the man across from him. Kakashi merely shrugged it off as common knowledge. "Well I must say that I am impressed with your work Hatake. I always knew Ninjas were sneaky but I never knew to what extent."

Kakashi put on a fake smile and replied, "Thank you." before mentally flipping him off.

"That is why I am putting your sneakiness back into action." Keiichi once again turned to his work.

"What?" Kakashi asked after a second to clear his hearing as if he had misheard him.

"I'm sending you back into Omi Company again; there are still a few things that I need tending to." The boy replied as if it was no big deal to risk the copy ninja's life with a utterly useless mission of cat and mouse.

"That's not wise." Kakashi sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"Wise?" Keiichi inquired and lifted his sharp eyes to meet neutral. "Probably not. But necessary none the-"

"With a larger team. I can't hope to get back in there, not after barely making it out with the evidence. They know a ninja was in those walls and they have no doubt stepped up there security to the max to prevent it from happening again." Kakashi reasoned and rose from his seat to leave.

"It is what is ordered of you Hatake." Keiichi's voice snapped from behind him before he had a chance to open the door.

"And with all due respect, I don't take orders from you, you are merely a client. My only real mission is checking the status of Grass, and the retrieval of evidence from Omi Company, which I have accomplished. The only thing keeping me here is protecting Ms. Haku from harm. When my Hokage gives me the all clear I will head back to Konoha a.s.a.p. Until that time comes, I will report back to Tsunade Sama and see what her orders are. Have a good afternoon." Kakashi saluted and left through the door.

Keiichi was left to glare at the exit which Kakashi had used.

* * *

Sakura sighed as she brought her knees up against her chest, a position she found unusually comfortable. She gazed out of the front window to her large scale of property that stretched till a gate could be seen in the distance. It was very weird out that day. She awoke to thunder and lighting, well it wasn't actually the storm that woke her; it was Pakkun and Saki with their constant shifting around the bed. But now it was extremely sunny out. Such contrast.

She thought that yesterday had been a dream when she had first opened her eyes, but she knew it couldn't have been. She still had Kakashi's scent on her clothing. It was on her stomach from when she had hugged him and begged him not to go and on her cheeks when he had held her head with inner conflict as to kiss her or not. Of course he never did. He told her that she had hurt him and that was the reason he gave for not going through with it. But he told her that he still loved her, even after it all.

She was swarming with mixed emotions and they were everything that filled her thoughts and mind. She was first and for most extremely happy. He loved her! That was the single best thing that had happened to her since she left Konoha three years ago. To her, those words satisfied her even without a kiss.

But she was also feeling guilty. Why did he still love her after all she did to him? She couldn't really understand. He should hate her yet he didn't. He should despise her yet he loved her. Part of her felt that he shouldn't love her now. That he deserved so much better then what she gave.

Truth be told, she didn't know what to think.

All she knew was that she was itching to talk to him again.

"Someone's approaching." Saki smiled and with a wag of his tail, perched up on the window sill to look out. Sakura's ears perked up.

"Is it Kakashi?" She asked. Pakkun shook his head, and she sighed and turned back to what it was she was looking at.

"I don't know who it is, but it's not a ninja." He replied sniffing the air with a curious look on his face which meant the possibility of enemy.

"Maybe it's Tezuka." Sakura mumbled into her knees, not sounding at all enthusiastic or happy to hear of his visit.

"Who's Tezuka, Sakura!" Saki inquired with another wag of his tail, and turning to the pink haired girl.

"My Boyfriend." She replied immediately earning jaw dropped expressions from both Nin-dogs.

"Repeat!" Pakkun cried and ran over to where she was sitting and leapt into her lap. "You have a boyfriend! And it's not Kakashi-san! What the hell-"

"Calm down! I never said I'm in love with him!" Sakura gave the outraged down a tiny flick on the nose. The Nin dog twitched his nose and glared at her, having half a mind to bit her hand off.

"Then why are you with him?" Saki slipped himself into the conversation as well as in-between Pakkun and the pink haired girl herself.

"Well…I don't know really." Sakura sighed. "He proposed to me." She lifted her hand to show them the ring, as both dogs shielded themselves from the reflection. "But I didn't say yes, so don't get all pissed at me again! I just-"

"Sakura!" Tezuka cried as he opened the front door and slammed it behind him. "Sakura where..." His voice cut out when he saw her sitting in the small room to his right.

She glanced up to acknowledge his presence before turning back to the yard.

"You're waiting for him, aren't you?" Tezuka hissed as he moved towards her.

"I'm just watching the birds, for your information." Sakura whispered.

"Bullshit. What do you think I am an Idiot?" He snorted. "Where did he go? Off to fuck another girl? I knew it he's screwing her right now while you sit and wait here for him. Haha, that's a laugh." Tezuka chuckled.

"Not every guy is like you Tezuka." She mumbled calmly, not really caring to talk with him or even hear what he has to say.

"Does he know we're getting married?" He smiled and sat on the rocking chair across from her.

"We're not." Sakura shrugged. "So there's nothing to tell." This gained the room a moment of dead silence, even Saki (who had hide under the couch with Pakkun upon another man entering the room) stayed dead quite.

"Then why do you wear the ring I gave you." Tezuka whispered.

Sakura took a second to glance down at the diamond on her finger, and slowly slipped it off her hand on set it on the table before her. All the while, Tezuka watched her with a frown on her face and a lump in his throat.

"Sakura, why are you doing this?" He whispered his voice strained to keep calm.

"I told you yesterday." She replied, remaining unmoved even when he stood from his chair abruptly and caused the seat to fly back and hit the wall behind him.

"Damn it Sakura! All that shit about me cheating on you is nothing but rumors! I never did any of it, and it hurts that you don't believe me." Tezuka pleaded but Sakura didn't reply. "You want to marry him is that it? Is he the one that you love now? Some servant boy?" He spat.

"Ka-Tre is not a servant boy." Sakura whispered, remembering to call him by his fake name now as to not ruin his mission.

"Really? Then what is he?" Tezuka eyed his pink haired girl suspiciously.

"He's a good man. Something you would never now anything about-" He voice cut out when he roughly grabbed her wrist and yanked her to her feet, knocking over the table in the process and the ring rolled off to the door.

Sakura gasped in pain but kicked Saki and Pakkun back under the couch when they threatened to leap out and attack.

"I am a good man! I'm a good man!" He hissed through clenched teeth and Sakura winced as his thumb pressed hardly and deeper into the space of her wrist.

"Let me go." She snapped, and glared daggers into his fuming eyes.

"You're a little whore! A soon to be married women sneaking about to play with her little helper boy? It's disgusting!" Tezuka screamed.

"I love him." She whispered. Gasping in terror as she was flung back onto the couch once to have his body pressed on top of hers seconds after.

"Here's something to let you know that I still exist!" He whispered into her ear.

She squirmed violently under the pressure on his weight over hers, and fought with all her might to get him to release her wrists so she could push him off, but found it nearly impossible.

"GET OFF OF ME!" She cried as hot tears burned her eyes. She was trapped…again. She felt that familiar feeling of what was going to come next and felt her chest constrict more and more until she could hardly breathe.

Oh god. It was happening again!

"GET OFF!" She screamed at the top of her lungs and kneed him in the balls receiving a grunt of pain for her efforts. His grip on her wrists loosened considerably and she was finally able to push him off of her and he landed with a thud on the floor. She scrambled up and over him to a safe distance.

"Sakura…" He groaned while holding his injury.

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" She screamed and furiously pointed to the door.

"I'm sorry- I don't know-"

"GET OUT!" She screamed.

Suddenly the door burst open and Kakashi rushed into the house with a kunai drawn. The first thing he saw was Sakura bent over with heart wrenching sobs, her body shaking violently as she held herself for dear life.

Then his eyes whipped around for the reason so was in her state. He soon saw Tezuka lying on the floor grabbing his…well you know.

"Get him out!" She cried pointing a trembling figure to the man on the floor. Kakashi immediately walked over the grunting man and grabbed Tezuka by the hair, dragging him to the door before tossing him outside.

"What happened?" He snapped at the two Nin-dogs who emerged from under the couch when everything had calmed down a bit.

"Sakura told us not to interfere, Kakashi-san." Saki whispered in a small voice. He had a tendency to be timid around the copy ninja and feared his anger, especially when it came to Sakura.

"She didn't consent to what he had to offer." Pakkun whispered glaring at the ground where his paws were.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes in anger as the words hit his ears. He had tried to rape her?

"Damn it." Kakashi hissed and turned sharply to the girl in question, only to find that Sakura had run up the stairs during his brief conversation with his Nin-dogs.

Finding no further need for Pakkun or Saki, they poofed into smoke and Kakashi ran up the stairs after her. Taking three steps at a time he reached the top in a second and immediately scanned the upstairs level for where she went. The sound of the bathroom door closing directed his eyes in her bedroom, and his feet moved to follow.

Stepping into the door way of the large room, he saw the door to the washroom shut and shuffling could be heard from inside. Sighing, he moved closer to the door."Sakura open the door." Kakashi sighed, knocking with one hand and leaning upon the other.

There was no reply from within, but his eyes caught a shadow moving from under the door and saw her slide to the floor in front of him. He frowned when he felt that her chakra was highly irregular, swaying and frequently falling more then a ninja should let it. To add with his concern, he soon heard soft tears splash on the floor and the heart wrenching sound of a woman's sobs echo off the walls and drift back to his ears. Another sigh escaped his lips as he let his eyes drift down.

"You need to tell me what-" His voice hitched and abruptly cut off. His widened eyes focused upon the floor by the crack beneath the doorframe, where no tears could be seen, yet instead the tiled floor was stained with crimson red. A color which, being a ninja, he had seen more times than he cared to. Enough times to know instantly what it was.

Blood.

"Sakura open the door!" He shouted, his voice significantly rising from the quiet volume he had used to talk to her just moments before as he reached for the knob and furiously tried to turn it in vain. It was locked from the inside.

"Sakura!" He shouted in panic and slammed his shoulder into the door with everything he had. Yet the fact that she was against the opening, made his effects useless.

Inside, Sakura heard his order to open the down very clearly, but with every passing second she willingly sank the razor deeper and deeper into her wrist.

'I just want to forget. This is the only way.' She mentally consoled herself.

"Damn it!" He cursed and spun around on his heels and took off across the hall to the room which he had set up with seals and slammed his body through the glass window. Before he could even think about hitting the ground, wire shot out from his hands and pierced the roofing and quickly swung his body upward. At the second his feet hit the tiles of the roof, he shot forward across to the other side and grabbing the gutter he leapt off the edge and slammed his feet through the window of the bathroom.

Kneeling in the room, his eyes shot for the woman in front of the door.

He saw her passed out on the floor, blood pouring from the large gash in her forearm that lead from her wrist up to near her elbow.

Quickly snapping into action, he ran towards her, grabbing a towel on the way. Falling to his knees, he roughly lifted her limp body over his knees furiously wrapped the blanket around her wound. He applied pressure, which he had learnt was the best way to stop bleeding, with his hand before hustling her up off the ground bridal style.


	15. Vindicated

Kakashi felt like his head was about to pop right off his shoulders any second, and no matter how much he desperately tried to sooth the ache through massage, his sharigen stubbornly held up its constant throbbing. He knew that it was going to be a bad day the moment he rolled out of bed that morning, but he had no idea just how bad things would get.

And he had absolutely no idea that he would be sitting in the hospital waiting room while the doctors tried to heal the huge fucking gash in her arm which, she herself put there with a razor she had hidden in her bathroom.

This had to be a dream.

Sakura didn't try to kill herself. She knew every well what happened to his father, he told her well before they got engaged and she knew how he felt about such things. Besides, she didn't want to die. Not after pleading with his for forgiveness and wanting to recapture the romance that abruptly ended three years ago by her hand.

His hands netted together and came to rest on his forehead. Yes, this had to be a dream.

"Tre?" His fake identity was being called from the waiting room doors, and his head shot up to see who it was.

"Yes?" He replied and stood from the couch in question. A nurse acknowledged his presence and gestured for him to follow her.

He did so, and she led him to a secluded corner outside of the hustle and rushing of the other nurses and doctors that moved this way and that with busy faces.

"I called you out here because this is a private matter which I figured neither you nor Ms. Haku would like to be over heard." The nurse whispered. Kakashi justified her reasoning with a nod. "But I think you know that this isn't accidental or done by another. But by Sakura herself." She received another nod.

"Did, she say anything you?" Kakashi whispered.

"I was hoping to ask you the same question." The nurse smiled sadly. "Although this injury has occupied most of the doctors' attention at the moment, there is, however, another matter which is also in need of discussion."

"Another matter?" Kakashi inquired tiredly, rubbing his thumb deep into his aching eye.

"While examining her earlier, I came upon similar gashes on the other wrist. Older ones, mind you, somewhere between 2 or 3 weeks prior to this attempt." The nurse replied.

"Jesus..." He whispered and shut his eyes, titling his head off to the side in thought...

"So if she's been acting weird or strange these last few weeks, it might lead to an event which could have pushed her to this extreme. Can you think of anything?" The nurse asked.

Kakashi though for a second and already had a fair idea of what could have pushed her to this extreme.

"Her boyfriend…they had a fight and he split, but I walked in on him trying to rap her." Kakashi whispered.

"Oh dear," The nurse sighed with sympathy. "Tezuka? He's the boyfriend, right? I can't believe that he would do something like that. But then again you can never tell just by looking, can you?"

"But I have no clue why she would do this 3 weeks ago." Kakashi whispered.

"Alright, well thank you for you're help." The nurse whispered and stepped aside, directing with her finger the direction of her room. "You can see her now."

Kakashi nodded and walked off down the hall towards her room.

* * *

_**That I would be good,**_

_**Even if I did nothing**._

Sakura stared down at the bright white sheets of her hospital bed until the color made her eyes hurt, so she turned away.

He arm didn't ache as badly anymore now that they pumped morphine into her veins, but she could still feel the uncomfortable bandages rubbing against her skin which hadn't received damaged. It tinkled so much and she wanted to scratch it but the doctors had strapped her arm to the post. They probably thought that she was going to hurt herself or something.

_**That I would be good,**_

_**Even if I got the thumbs down.**_

In truth, she didn't really remember actually doing the things that they said she did. It was like her mind had left her at the moment the razor met her skin, and her body was acting on its own.

In truth, had her mind been with her, she wouldn't have done it. In the heat of the moment, people say. Hell, she didn't want to die. Not now, that she had things to live for.

**_That I would be good,_**

**_If I got and stayed sick._**

Most of all, she wanted to live for Kakashi. She loved him so much, much more than she could ever tell him in fear that he didn't feel the same way. She was content with what he was able to give her and she never asked for more then that.

But she wanted to forget everything else. She wanted to forget that man's hands all over her body, on every inch of her skin. And make what he did to her never happen, and make it all a terrible nightmare. That was the reason she did the act that put her in the hospital in the first place.

_**That I would be good,**_

_**Even if I gained ten pounds.**_

Sakura sharply turned her head away from the presence that appeared in the room, so she could only see the pale white color of the wall in front of her gaze. She knew it was him instantaneously. Who else would it be?

_**That I would be fine,**_

_**Even if I went bankrupt.**_

She could hear his shallow breathing fill the quietness of the room and the slow, painful steps he made on his way forward towards her. His movements plainly expressed his deep inner thoughts; Sakura wondered if he knew just how readable his usually unreadable actions were.

He was angry. The stiffness in his limps as he walked and the stressed breathing had been a dead giveaway for that. He was walking on an edge that only he could see. That if he moved too quickly or too much then he would fall off.

_**That I would be good,**_

_**If I lost my hair and my youth.**_

But on the other hand, he had a frown on his features that showed off worry and confusion as to why he was here at that moment, looking at her in that bed. His sharigen was shut with much effect, and she knew that it was bothering him again. Or maybe he was keeping it closed because it had failed him. The marvelous tool known as the Sharigen couldn't predict this event.

_**That I would been great,**_

_**If I was no longer queen.**_

She herself felt her breathing almost vanish completely with the constriction around her throat, and the overwhelming urge to hide the bandages that bound her self-inflicted wrist injury from him, made her arm slip underneath the covers. As if he didn't already know why she was here, he had been the one who had found her after all.

"Why?" She was surprised to hear him speak in this situation. And she had to squeeze her eyes shut to keep herself from crying the fresh tears that built up. His voice was so low and raw that she had trouble hearing him but he was speaking none the less.

_**That I would be grand,**_

_**If I was not all knowing.**_

Unfortunately, Sakura didn't have the same strength to talk to him right now and remained silent.

After a second on receiving no response, Kakashi let out a frustrated and strained exhale of breath and tried again.

"Why…do you...do it?" It was forced to remain calm even though she knew he was burning to scream at her. Grab her by her shoulders and tell her how stupid she was, how much she was a coward and a liar, and the she was weak to fall to that level. Plus some other choice words she knew would pour from his lips, like they always did when he was really angry.

_**That I would be loved,**_

**_Even when I'm not myself_**.

But, she didn't know why, she suddenly went on the defensive. She knew she was only hiding her tears through anger; it was how she usually masked her true feelings. By lashing out, and she snapped. "Why do you care? It's my business." She scoffed and turned her eyes down at her legs.

She knew instantly that this hadn't been the best choice, because the moment the words left her mouth, h no longer held back on the words he wanted to say. And, for the third time in all the years she knew him, he exploded.

_**That I would be good,**_

_**Even when I'm overwhelmed. **_

**_"_**What the fuck kind of question is that!" He cried, ignoring the immediate hushes coming from down the hall for him to be quiet. "Jesus Christ..." He whispered and let out a heavy exhale and paced the room over to the wall.

Sakura knew he was trying to think of what to say without saying too much. Kakashi was always one with a plan; nothing spontaneous had ever caught him off guard. Not until he met her of course. Then everything was made on a whim.

"'Why do I care!" So much for a plan, he was just letting it all go now, she knew. "You know what I don't know why I give a shit about you Sakura!" He cried and emphasized his anger with quick movements of his hands and arms, and a shaking his head as if to figure it out.

**_That I would be loved,_**

**_Even when I was fuming._**

""Even after everything you've done and all the shit you put me through, I have no fucking clue why I still care about let alone LOVE you for Christ sakes!" Sakura frowned and squeezed her eyes even tighter to stop the tears from pouring down her cheeks at what he was saying.

Kakashi, even though he was screaming at her, immediately noticed her attempts to stop herself from crying and had to hold himself back from comforting her as he used to do.

_**That I would be good,**_

**_Even when I was clinging._**

"But I do. I love you as much as the day that I got down on my knee and gave you that ring." Kakashi whispered, and this time Sakura couldn't stop herself from chocking out a sob, that echoed through the room.

"And even if I told myself over and over to hate you, I still wanted so badly to kiss you yesterday. What the fuck would I do if you died now!" He screamed and grabbed the chair in front of her bed and with an angry cry of frustration threw it across the room.

Sakura jumped when it came into contact with the wall and sent a loud crashing sound through the room and now doubt down the hall way again.

Then silence again. Sakura's own heavy breathing was greatly out matched by his fuming breathes as he fell back against the wall. She watched, sobbing, as he slide down the wall to the floor, and covered his face with his hands.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, Kakashi." She whispered for the first time since her admission into the hospital, only to hear his scoff.

"I only wanted to know how it feels like to forget." She whispered and chocked back another sob that shook her chest.

"Forget what?" He mumbled through his hands. "Me?"

"Of course not! I will never and could never forget about you, Kakashi. I wanted to forget about…him." She whispered, and turned back away.

"Him?" Kakashi inquired and lifted his head to set tired eyes on her form.

Sakura sobbed as she shook her head, telling him that she couldn't say. Kakashi sighed and returned his head back into the hiding place.

"Do you remember…when you asked me if Tezuka cheats on me?" Sakura whispered and turned red eyes from the tears, when she didn't receive and answer she continued. "I lied. He does…every night. Every night a new girl and every night I'm alone. I hate him." She smiled sadly.

"…Is that why…?" Kakashi mumbled.

"Not the cheating, no. It was his actions yesterday…The feeling that he was over powering me and forcing me too…"She stopped when her voice cut out. "I don't know what…what he would have done if I haven't…"

"That's no reason to do what you did. Nothing should make you resort to that level." Kakashi's voice was dark and he meant every word because this topic went straight to home. "You were stupid to think that this would make everything go away."

"I did it to feel…free, almost." Sakura replied.

"Bullshit!" Kakashi snapped. "You tried to kill yourself! You don't slit your wrists because it helps you feel, you do it for attention. Well here I am, Sakura! You've got my full attention now." He sighed.

"I'm sorry that I made you worry about me, Kakashi. I'm sorry that I can't tell you my reasons for leaving and I'm sorry for the lies I've said to keep you from figuring my secret out." Sakura sobbed.

"It's not that you lie, Sakura. It's that I believe you when you do." Kakashi sighed. "It's the fact that this fucking eye can't help me when I truly need it, which pisses me off. You can't help it when you lie; it's in your nature." He said bitterly.

"That's not true. I do it so you don't figure out the secret that will haunt you as much as it haunts me." Sakura frowned and focused her eyes on the man against the wall.

"Oh, so you lie to me for my beneficent?" Kakashi inquired, sarcastically, with a nod of his head as if he understood. "Well, that's okay then."

"Don't be like this again." Sakura pleaded.

"Like what, Sakura? Like a guy whose been lied to for God knows how long by the one who he thought he trust no matter what? How should I act like?" Kakashi frowned, and turned to her in question.

"I love you, damn it. All those things I said when you first come to this mission…I didn't mean a word of them. I was scared…scared of what, of what I couldn't tell you then and what I can't tell you now. I know we said that we'd never lie to each other, but please believe me when I tell you that I have good reasons. I didn't want you to be hurt anymore; I don't want to be tone to hurt you. I wanted so much for us to be like we were, and I wanted so much to tell you all the things I'm telling you now back then." Sakura paused to get his reaction, hoping and praying for it to be a good one.

"…So now all of a sudden you want things to be back to the way they were? Hn." He chuckled, but Sakura knew it wasn't real. "You could never really make up your mind." He replied and rose to his feet again.

"Kakashi, please…" Sakura whispered, as he made his way to the door, and didn't receive a response as the man she loved walked from the room.

* * *

He vaguely knew where he was headed next. In his mind he just needed to get away, anywhere but with her. He needed to think it all over, think everything over before he went crazy. He just needed to be alone with his thought for a while without Sakura there to distract him. And lord knows that she was one hell of a distraction.

The noises of the hospital seemed blurry. The beeping if machines to help the sick and the mumbling voices of communication seemed distance even if he knew he was right beside them. All he saw was the phones, and instantly he knew where his body was taking him. He needed to know the truth. And Sakura would never tell him exactly what he reason were, so he thought he could try another. Someone who knew Sakura almost as good as he thought he knew her.

Tsunade. The Hokage. But most importantly, Sakura most entrusted sensei and mentor for medic practice and severe strength.

In order for Sakura to leave Konoha without turning herself into a missing-nin was the direct consent of the Hokage. Only when she granted Sakura to ability to leave freely that no hunter-nin would trail her and either kill her on the spot or bring her back to the city she wanted to leave in the first place.

To get the consent of the Hokage, Sakura must have a good reason to abandon her post as a Leaf Ninja. And that information was what Kakashi needed to know. What was her reason?

He slipped his skillfully quickly hand in the pocket of a nearby doctor and pulled out a handle of loose change without anyone being the wiser.

Setting any dimes or nickels on a waiting room table, he kept the quarters, which he knew would be needed to make the phone call which he was about to make. Stepping up to the payphone that hung on the wall in the corner, he slid his stolen money into the slot and dialed the number of Tsunades' private line.

Lifting the receiver up to his ear he waiting for her to pick up through the ringing of the connecting call.

"..What?" Came a sigh from the other end of the phone.

"I need to know." Kakashi didn't waste anymore time in getting to the answers of his questions.

"Kakashi." Tsunade sighed with the 'I knew you were going to call but still didn't want you' voice.

"Why did she leave? I know that it's not permitted for you to tell me why, but I'm going to ask any way and hope that you know that I've been through enough bullshit to have the right to know." Kakashi's voice was low; she could tell that he was straining to keep his sanity. She didn't blame him.

"Kakashi, you're one of my best ninja-" The Hokage began.

"Don't." He interrupted, shutting his eyes and letting out a soft exhale of his pent up air. "Don't try to screw me over. Tell me yes or no. Tell me why she left."

"I'm not screwing you over, but you know that I can't tell you, you know it." Tsunade tried to reason with the man who she knew was unreasonable right now.

"She tried to kill herself." Kakashi whispered.

Then there was silence on the other end, leaving Kakashi to think over what her reaction was.

"She…what." Kakashi finally heard her reply and as he had expected the Hokage was mixture of pissed, worried and….well, pissed.

"You heard me." Kakashi whispered glancing around him to check to see if anyone was listening to his conversation, fortunately there was no one else in the waiting room. "She slit a huge fucking gash from her wrist to her elbow, 55 stitches to close it up. They don't have Medic ninja hear, hell they don't have any ninja here." Kakashi rested his palm up against the wall beside the pay phone.

"Why aren't you protecting her?" Tsunade snapped.

"She locked herself into the bathroom; I had to break two windows to get to her." Kakashi sighed.

"I don't care if you had to break three god damn windows! You have to protect her from herself as well, Kakashi!" Tsunade shouted into his ear.

"I know, but I didn't calculate the possibly that she would attempt suicide, sorry." Kakashi replied. "Why did she leave?"

"I can't tell you, stop asking." Tsunade ordered.

"Was her reason enough for her to cut her wrists?" Kakashi asked, and waited for the answer he wanted, but unfortunately she never replied. Kakashi took that as a yes and continued. "Then if involves my mission and I need to know."

"I'm…I'm sorry, Kakashi. Really I am. But I know Sakura had her reasons and they are hers alone." Tsunade replied.

"How the hell am I supposed to be satisfied with that answer? How the hell am I supposed to live with a women who has her reasons but I'm not permitted to know. I can't." Kakashi rubbed his stressed eye. "I can't do this anymore. Send me on an s-class mission with Anbu but I can't do this one…I can't anymore."

"…." Silence once again followed his tired reply. "Sakura…loves you. You have to understand that, Kakashi. But she doesn't trust your reaction to what she's afraid to tell you. She needs time."

Kakashi gave a curt chuckle and scoffed to himself. "Time. She's had three fucking years, Tsuande-Sama." He replied. "I have no more time. I have to go. Bye."

"Kakashi, wait-" The line went dead before she could continue.


	16. Another Word 4 Desprite

NEW CHAPTER!

Oh boy! I've been planning this moment, this event int eh story since day one! I'm so happy it's here! Actaully I thought of this scene before I ever started writing the story! It was this that inspired all my work for this fanfiction! TeeHee! I'm so happy!

Now...everythings gonna get very, very,vvveeerrryyy interesting. Winks Trust me!

Review! Tes! Review! Mahaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

* * *

"You're releasing her?" Kakashi inquired as one of the nurses walked past him towards Sakura, who was in the process of being untied from her restraints..

"Yep." One of the young female nurses chirped up and unlatched the strap around her patience's wrist. "Ms. Haku is free to go." She smiled at the pink haired girl who didn't smile back.

"What about the whole attempted suicide thing? You strapped her down while she was here and now, after mere hours, you're letting her go?" Kakashi sighed. He would rather Sakura be here then anywhere else. Here, he knew exactly were she was and there weren't any locked doors she could hide herself behind as she tried to fuck up his mission.

"We're not a jail, Mr. Tre." Another nurse chuckled and brought Sakura her clothes which had red stained on the chest.

_ Unfortunatly..._

"I would prefer if she stayed here for a while longer, just to make absolutely sure that she'll be okay." Kakashi suggested, of course the tone he used who have fooled anyone into believing that he wanted her to stay for her own health. But in actuality, the question fo the women's health, be it physical or mental, was the last thing running through his mind.

He was, first and for most, a ninja. And when it comes to the job, missions are top priority over any feeling or emotion, which shouldn't really be felt in the first place. Recall the shinobi rule of hidding all emotions and being like a stone in every situation and you'll understand his reasoning.

"It's not up to you, I'm afraid. " The reply didn't surpise the copy ninja. He knew very well the rules of the hopsitals, he was almost married to a medic after all. But no harm could have come by asking, he figured. "If Ms. Haku wants to leave, and the doctors have given their consent then no one can disagree. Now we've bandaged them up as good as possible, and if you refrain from any heavy lifting or strain then the stitches should hold up." The nurse replied to Sakura, who didn't look into the face of her care taker, but focused upon something on the floor.

"Ms. Haku..." She smiled sadly, slipping a thumb under Sakura chin and lifted her gaze to meet hers. "Please don't try this again…You're so young and so beautiful to end your life like that. Alright?"

She didn't receive and answer. She was not in therapy and this wasn't an intervention, no matter if the nurse may have thought it was. Sakura didn't need to answer, she didn't need to explain her reasoning to a total stranger.

_ Why was so so bitter all of a sudden?_

"Alright." The nurse sighed, and straightened up,smooting out thewrinkled on her uniform."Change in the bathroom and go to the checking out. It was very nice to meet you." She smiled sadly.

She nodded to Kakashi before leaving with her fellow nurses.

* * *

Kakashi turned towards the girl in the bed when he heard the rustling of sheets, and watched as she slide from her mattress and cautiously stepped her bare feet onto the floor as if expecting it to be so cold that the titles would sting the bottom of her feet.

It was true. Sakura did want nothing more then to just go home. Even if back home in Konoha she was a medic-Nin, being admitted as a patient into the hospital wasn't very welcoming. And the fact that it was her that the tests were being performed on wasn't comforting in the least. She was like Kakashi in that aspect.

Also, she hated the very exposing hospital gowns that came with the stiff, smelly bed when admitted in for treatment.

Kakashi turned his head away, when those green eyes lifted to meet his.

Sakura wasn't surprised. She had gotten used to his coldness and seeing his back whenever she was around him…But she wished for him to give up this stubborn nature of his and throw away his pride to just be satisfied with her. She just wanted for him to welcome the idea of having her back, allowing her to embrace him and make love to him whenever she wanted. And for him to anything to her that he desired.

But she knew that he wouldn't let himself go until her secret was no longer a secret. He needed to know why she broke his heart, and why it is that she's still unable to relieve it to him even now. She didn't blame him. If she was the one left behind, she would demand answers as well.

But….that didn't change the fact that she would continue to keep her dark past a secret. She had too….for his sake.

She slipped past him into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. She let out a heavy breathe, finding her self having trouble controlling her heart rate as his smell filled her nose when she had walked past him.

Sakura couldn't help but smile sadly.

'He still makes me feel like a school girl crush.' She thought, letting out a curt laugh which she herself could only hear. He always had that effect on her.

Kakashi tried to keep himself cool and collected as the pink haired girl pasted by him, but inside he knew that he appeared anything but.

How could he possible remain unfazed and distant when she had such a gift for making his so stressed and unnerved…yet so idyllic and lighthearted at the same damn time. He felt his heart flitter with the idea that she would embrace him as she did yesterday. Tell him that she loved him, as she did in the past and kiss him as….As they used to kiss.

Whenever he talked to her, he always found himself saying one thing but thinking another. He would tell her that he hated her…but inside he loved her as much as the day she kissed his for the first time. He said that he was only there because of the mission but...he wanted her safe. He said that he wanted nothing to do with her, but she was everything to him.

'I'm pathetic.' He gave a brief chuckle to himself before rubbing his tired eyes.

"Tre!" Kakashi's eyes whipped open to see Mesi standing right before him. The silver haired man had to sweet drop at the constant decreasing of the man's height as his head only barely reached Kakashi's elbows.

"Mesi …What are you doing here?" Kakashi yawned huge and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Inside thinking, 'Shit, he's all that I need right now.'

"I think I'm here for the same reason you are...My friend." The short man sighed with a slow painful shake of his head.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "And that would be?" He inquired.

"To kick the shit out of her before she had the chance to do it to herself!" Mesi snapped, and tossed some fitting black roses on the bed, the kind that one would bring to a funeral.

"Get in line." Kakashi mumbled, and leaned back up against the wall.

"Where is she?" Mesi looked around the midly tiny room, but still couldn't seem to spot the one who had moved his to start his search in the first place."Don't tell me you let her slip through your fingers, Tre!" Kakashi couldn't restrain himself from reaching over and striking the man on the head. And lord it felt good afterwards he had to say.

"Calm down, she's in the bathroom." Kakashi sighed, and withdrew his striking hand back into his pocket.

Mesi rubbed the sore spot on his skull, and turned a sharp stare over at his attacker before slipping past him so he could give the door a loud and hard knock with his fist. The soft gasp of surprise from the women inside could be heard from the two just beyond the door.

"Kakashi?" She asked questionably through the door, as to why he was suddenly banging his fist against the bathroom.

Outside Kakashi gave an exhale of air, this being the only thing he could think of doing at the moment his true identity was relieved. His head lifted back against the wall he leaned upon, as he mentally cursed his luck.

In truth, he didn't really plan on telling the short man who was no doubt looking questionably at him at that moment. He figured that his true identity was on a strict need to know bases upon fear of endangering his not-so-well-going mission. And in the mind of the copy ninja, Mesi didn't need to know.

But, like always, his luck didn't really work out for him and Kakashi dreaded the infinite questions that the short man would be asking him soon enough…Starting now.

"Who's Kakashi?" Out came the first.

"Kakashi…would be me." He sighed just as the door to the bathroom opened and the pink haired women emerged, now changed into proper clothing.

Her green eyes scanned the short man in front of her and immediately felt a pain of regret in the deepest levels of her stomach. She had revealed Kakashi's secret!

Then her eyes slowly drifted to the silver haired man, hesitantly, as if knowing that he was seriously pissed off at her at that moment.

"M-Mesi? What are you doing here?" Sakura stuttered as the knowledge of what the short man now knew, and the fact that she was reason he knew in the first place made her body heat and her face redden.

The short man didn't remove his gaze from Kakashi, not for a second. And both, the silver haired man and Sakura began to suspect that this knowledge came as more serious problem then that of which was first suspected.

"You're name is Kakashi?" Mesi whispered. His voice darker then either the copy ninja or Sakura, had ever heard it before, and instantly setting Kakashi into defense mode, preparing for whatever might happen next.

"…."

"…Then who the hell is Tre?" Mesi whispered. Kakashi blinked for a second, thinking 'What an odd question to ask when one has just found out that he's been lied to for over month?'

"….That's me...as well." Kakashi replied. All the while Sakura remained silent in fear of further screwing up whatever Kakashi was planning. Was he going to kill Mesi? You know, the whole 'you know too much so you have to die' routine?

"So…you're Tre…AND...This Kakashi guy?" Mesi replied as if finally placing it all together after a major brain fart.

"…Yes." Kakashi blinked, thinking 'Well, this isn't going as expected.'

"….Are you like one of those freaks who are named Joe but insist upon being called Steve?" Mesi inquired, receiving yet another blink from Kakashi.

'What odd names...Joe and Steve?' Sakura thought to herself, but immediately drew herself back to the conversation at hand.

"Uh…not quite…" Kakashi replied. "Sakura we should go." He ordered and headed towards the door. Sakura sent an apologetic glance at Mesi before following close in turn.

After the door closed, and Mesi was left in the hospital room all alone, the short man blinked out of his daze of confusion and awoke to find that the two had left.

* * *

Sakura paused her ascent up the rather large staircase which led to the front door of her huge mansion, as the glare of the window caught her eye. She shielded the blinding light from her eyes with her forearm as she tilted her gaze up to the source.

She found herself wondering, as she looked upon the huge windows of the second floor, why she needed such an enormous house as this one. She tried to think back to the day that she bought it from the dealership and searched her memory for exactly what she was thinking about the moment she signed the ownership papers.

No, she couldn't recall why she had wanted this house…Maybe it was Tezuka. That man had made her a larger then life celebrity all around the world, so why wouldn't he want her to up keep that theme and live in a larger then life house? He bought her all those rows and rows of unworn clothing, some with the price tags still on them that read $405.99 for a top, and hundreds of equally expensive high heel shoes knowing full well that she hated high heel shoes.

She snapped from her thoughts when the front door creaking open sounded in her ears, and she turned her gaze back down just in time to see Kakashi's back entering the house. She let her forearm, still bandaged, fall to her side as she continued her forward motion towards the door.

"Kakashi." Sakura replied as she shut the door behind her. She knew that he had heard her perfectly clear, yet he still proceed into the kitchen.

Sighing, and swallowing the nervous limp in her throat, she had no shoes on from when Kakashi had rushed her to the hospital, so she just stepped onto the tiles and followed him.

"Kakashi, what are you going to do?" Sakura whispered when she spotted his feet behind the refrigerator door as he search for some food.

"What am I going to do about what?" He mumbled and the sound of the drawer sliding closed was closely accompanied with the door itself shutting and Kakashi's form appearing with the absence of anything to hide behind. His back straightened up to his full height and Sakura had to lift her head considerably to look into his eyes from the close proximity in which they both stood.

She noticed that he was a little taken by surprise as to how close she now was as well, but, like Hatake Kakashi was an expert at doing, slipped on that damn mask of cool and calm exterior.

"Mesi knows your identity, is this a problem?" Sakura inquired as she felt Kakashi's nature body heat leave as the silver haired man took a step back and a bite of his fresh apple. Sakura immediately began to wonder if he ever ate anything but apples while in this house.

"Nope." He replied and turned to leave.

"Why not?" Sakura asked as she followed him again. She began to wonder if she'd seen his back more times than she'd seen his face.

"Because Mesi's an idiot. And he wouldn't know what to do with the information even if he does know." Kakashi sighed an took another bite into his apple, not bothering to turn around to answer to her face since he could feel her close on his tail as he walked from the kitchen.

"He's not an idiot." Sakura whispered, Mesi had always been a very good friend to her and he was a lot of things. But an idiot wasn't one of them. Excentric..not stupid.

"Hn."

"…Can, we...talk…for a moment?" Sakura asked, folding her hands together as she could think of nothing to do with them at that moment, they were so fidgety.

"..No." Kakashi replied harshly, knowing full well that another argument / Sakura's feeling's script was about to play out.

"Please, we need to continue the conversation we had earlier…" Sakura whispered as she moved past him and effectively stopped him in his tracks by a simple touch to his forearm. She instantly felt the goose-bumps on his skin form under her finger tips, and loved the sound of his throat swallowing down any nervousness and anxiety he was feeling at that moment.

She knew he was scared of something.

"Do we?" He asked, but his voice was filled with tension and Sakura heard it immediately. "Cause I thought, that we had ended it there." He lifted his arm so that her fingers slide from contact, no matter how much he wanted them to remain.

"No…you were holding back." She replied looking directly in his eyes even though his own graze was turned to something on the wall beside his head. "Don't fight the things I know you want to say to me, Kakashi." She whispered with such heart in every word that she felt tears burn her eyes.

"I'm so completely tired of talking to you." Kakashi sighed and tossed his apple core into the garbage over his shoulder. There he went again. Saying one thing but think about another. In truth he loved talking to her, just not about what she wanted to talk about. Things like why she should be forgiven, or what he was thinking…He hated it.

Sakura's chest flinched with the pain of his statement, and her breath caught in her lungs causing her to breath in a large amount of air through her nose. She didn't mean to gasp, she didn't mean for his words to hurt her as deeply as they did but it hurt none the less.

She sharply turned her eyes down to the floor and stressed her body to stop trembling.

"How can…How can you that?" She whispered and immediately Kakashi noticed the tone of her voice resembling the one that she always got when she was about to cry. Kakashi forced himself to remain heartless even though he wanted nothing more then to embrace her at that moment.

"..I say it because it's true." Kakashi whispered, almost to himself. Almost as if he was justifing the words to himself.

"…I love you…" She choked out before she furiously whipped away the tears that ran down her cheek.

"Aw, come on Sakura! Not everything can be solved just because you say those words!" Kakashi found him self angry again. In fact ever since he reunited with Sakura he found his emotions changing as much as the water in the lake, or the view outside. One moment he wanted to hug her, now he felt as he wanted to choke her to death.

"Kakashi…" She sobbed, the pleading tone returning to her voice.

"This is a fairy tail story, Sakura! Just because you love me doesn't change anything! You know what?" He sighed inhaling a deep cleansing breathe and tried to regain his composure. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I couldn't make you stay……that you couldn't trust me enough to tell me what was fucking with your mind at the moment you decided to leave. I'm tired of trying to understand you, Sakura. I'm tired of looking at you and seeing the women that I fell in love with so long ago, despite knowing in my mind that I should be seeing the little girl who ran away from home." Kakashi shut his eyes and tried to put all of his thoughts into understandable phrases.

"Stop trying to make everything fine when it isn't." He whispered. "Stop thinking that just because I love you, means I can't forgive and forget what you did." He sighed.

"Kakashi...you're breaking my heart…" She sobbed quietly…her body trembling from the tears.

"Like you have any right to criticize, you fucking hypocrite, you did the same thing to me!" He screamed and through his arms out in front of him to emphasis his words. He wasn't going to hit her...He would never, ever hit her, but he feared that she thought otherwise.

Sakura's eyes shot open with surprise and hurt as she stared terrified into the death glare of the man before her. The edge and level of his voice physically pushed her back and she visibly stumbled backwards before regaining her footing. Her hands reached up to grab fistfuls of her blood stained white shirt, when her chest began to hurt. Her hands trembled as if she was having mini secures isolated only to her hands.

Kakashi felt the immediate pain of guilt flood into his body and push out the anger.

A deathly silence filled the house. The kind of silence that would show up after someones world was shattered down around their feet, after another had broken their heart.

It was an uncomfortable silence. Extremely uncomfortable, Kakashi almost couldn't bare it. He didn't want to take back his words,..but he wouldn't have nessesarilysaid them if he had been able to stop himself. It was a strange spot he found himself in.

He thought that she would be mad...again. That her beauiful green eyes would have enflamed with fire and she would lung at him and their fighting or the words would switch to a different sort of fighting. One that both parties were very familier to.

Physical fighting.

But...as Kakashi had found out long as...Naruto wasn't always nessesarily the only ninja who was best at surprising people.

"…..Do you love me?" Sakura choked out and lifted her vibrantly green eyes to his. Kakashi didn't reply for a moment, but soon..

"Me saying it doesn't solve-"

He was cut off when a pair of full, warm lips was forced upon his before he could react or even predict it.

...And she was kissing him...

* * *


	17. The Love Song Writer

HERE WE GO! This is gonna be my favourite chappy! Please review!

Song lyrics by Fallout Boy 'Dance, Dance'

I immediately wanted a nice make out song to me fast speed and high energy because…well you'll see.

So read on Fan fiction people!

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Very little things could be considered as surprising to the copy ninja. He was, after all, a Jounin of leaf and also very well known around the countries as being a genius. Even if he didn't quite like the idea of being considered cleverer or stronger then the rest of his comrades, or the fact that being a genius meant extremely high expectations. He was content with being himself, Hatake Kakashi. Not the son of his father.

He always had every single angle covered when it came to missions and life in general, and nothing...Nothing was left up to chance or hidden Kakashi's ever seeing eyes. He planned out every little detail, and included all factors into ultimate plan.

She always had a knack for surprising him.

She caught him off guard when she had broke it off with Sasuke…He had been, after all, the love of her life up into her early twenties, and the sudden news he heard from Naruto that she had called it quits on their going on 7 month relationship. Kakashi didn't believe it at first, when Naruto had rushed to the Jounin Lounge to tell the silver haired man he still called his sensei. Even though Naruto had been on equal level as the copy ninja, and had been for a few months. But sure to his word, the next thing he knew Sasuke had moved out of Sakura's apartment and purchased an apartment on the other side of town.

She had caught him off guard when she had asked the copy ninja himself after diner 4 months later. He remembered asking her why she wanted to, but she just shrugged and smiled. He remembered her grabbing his hand and pulling him to restaurant which made the smelly training clothing both wore totally inappropriate. She had bought him diner. He offered to pay of course, but she had declined and stated that this had been her treat.

She caught him off guard when she asked him to diner the following week. And the week after that. Until their diners had become a very natural and excepted thing, something Kakashi could count on every Friday night. Come to think about it, Kakashi couldn't really say why it was he that had accepted her innocent offer of taking him to diner in the first place, but hell if he knew why he hadn't turned her down the times after that.

But nothing had every surprised him more then what was currently taking place.

She, the girl who broke his heart and made him cold, the only one to have every made him actually love another human being since his parents died, was kissing him.

He didn't really know how she had come to push her full, warm lips against his without him knowing it, and he didn't really know why she was doing it in the first place. Hadn't he just insulted her? He couldn't really remember right now due to the fact that any sense and reason had completely evaporated from his body.

He couldn't remember if he had ever widened his eyes so much prior to this moment, but he felt as if they were about to burst from his sockets. His numb skin could vaguely feel the warmth of that radiated from the palms of the hand against his ears on either side of his head. His body was stiff as a board, but he could feel a body mold up against his and instantly make his body stiffen a great deal more.

The distant thought of 'Holy shit…she's kissing me' was like a Robber thinking 'Holy Shit...I'm stealing', was running through his mind. Knowing what you're doing but finding yourself concentrated on nothing but act he was mentally scolding himself for.

The room was dead silent, as if she had brought him into a sound proof room just to kissing him. In truth, he didn't know where he was. He didn't know what time it was, or what the date was.

She was kissing him.

Suddenly, she wasn't any more. Just as quickly as their lips as clashed together, they had pulled apart. She was pushed him away, and his widened eyes spotted her backing into a corner with a deep red blush spread all over her face.

In a suddenly rush, all the pent up breath Kakashi had held in for the length of the kiss, exhaled from his body.

Sakura's mind was scrambling with millions of thoughts, so much that any hope of truly understanding them was totally out of the question. But here is the break down of it 'HOLY shit I fucking kissed him! Holy Shit I fucking kissed him!'

_She says she's no good with words but I'm worse._

"I-I-I'm, s-s-sorry; I didn't, m-mean to…" She stuttered and grabbed fists full of her shirt and clenching it like she always did when she was nervous. Her eyes saw nothing more then the floor by her bare feet, and her trembling hands gripping the materiel of her blood stained shirt.

She didn't know what possessed her to just kiss him like that. She herself didn't know that her body had moved before prior to the second she pushed away. It wasn't like an out of body experience, because even her mind her blank and in that unknown amount of time that her lips had been against hers, she was asleep.

_Barely stuttered out, "A joke of a romantic," stuck to my tongue._

"…Then why did you…" By the sound of his voice and the amount of tension squeezed into each syllable, so much that she knew in an instant that he was ready to snap any moment. He was probably so confused and startled by her actions that he had to do something or say something in fear he would explode. She just feared what that would be.

She knew that even her words of emotions were enough to push him any as he tried to sort out his own. But what the hell would he do after being kissed by her? Would he do what she feared he would? Would he finally be pushed so far as to totally block her out? Would he revert back into the man that he was when he first came to Grass, cold, distant and full of hatred towards her? Would he finally say to himself 'enough is enough' and give up on her and his feeling for her?

_Weighted down with words too over-dramatic._

That was what she feared the most. For him to hate her after all of the things that they've been through would be devastating. She couldn't survive if he gave up on her now.

"…I mean, I...wanted to...but not…so soon, um…I…I don't know what I'm saying." She whispered and squeezed her eyes shut to turn her gaze from him.

She didn't understand what she herself was saying, how could she expect him to.

_Tonight it's "It can't get much worse" vs. "No one should ever feel like..."_

Once again the house went dead silence. And with each passing second, Sakura could feel her hear break further and further, until she had no choice but to slowly and hesitantly lift her head to see what the damage would be, and what the silver haired man she loved would do after such a very bold gesture of what she felt.

Sakura felt tears start to blur her vision as she caught eyes with the man in question. He was just standing there, so rigid and tense that she knew immediately that he indeed chose the path the she had dreaded. He hated her.

She blink in sudden confusion as she saw something snap inside the fake blue eyes that she despised, she wanted to look into HIS eyes, not Tre's. It was as if he was battling something inside his head since the kiss and just now it had been resolved, but a battle which outcome wasn't necessarily what he had wished it was. At that moment she wanted nothing more than to understand what he was thinking.

She mentally retreated a couple steps as he started towards her with a strange look in his eyes, one that not even the pink haired girl could understand.

_I'm two quarters and a heart down,_

_And I don't want to forget how your voice sounds._

She started wide eyed as he came to stand right before her and slapped his palm against both of her ears and clashed his lips against hers with the tension of three years behind him. She squeezed her eyes shut and didn't wait a single second before following his motion, furiously forcing her month to melt into one with his. She immediately complied the opening of her lips when she felt his warm wet tongue begging for her to do so. And for the first time in what seemed like an eternity he had entered her.

She wanted more.

Ragged breathes accompanied the brief moments they were apart for some well needed air. She vaguely felt his forceful hands slide under the hem of her shirt to the small of her back and push her forward, closer to him. The other quickly slipped its way through her pink hair to further deepen the kiss, which was already a very heated lip lock, between the two.

_These words are all I have so I'll write them,  
so you need them just to get by…_

His heart quickened with each moan she gave off into his lips, and his skin tingled with her skin upon his. He felt her hand slide up the nape of her neck to cup his ear into her palm. The other, he could feel ripping at his shirt, yanking him closer. He complied.

Kakashi never kissed her like he was kissing her now! This was entirely new to her, this side of him was completely different then any other times they had kissed in the past. Never before had she seen or felt this man attack her so sexually or savagely before.

Every single kiss, he made better then the one before. Every single inch of her body, he made feel important and divine. As if he was scared to never touch this body again, and needed to make the most of it. He needed to put absolutely every inch of his body into making it last and making it so no one could touch her the way he was right at that moment.

_Dance, Dance.  
We're falling apart to half time.  
Dance, Dance._

He was by no means gentle with his motions, like he had been before. The hands that usually smoothed over her body now felt so rough, Sakura was sure that she would have scratches and raw skin afterwards.

But she loved it. This kind of ferocity and animalistic attack with his lips and figure tips was enough to drive her mad and enough to make her want more.

His hands left where they once had been to hungrily grab her ass and lift her body up into his hold. Sakura gasped in pleasure as her legs in turn wrapped firmly around his midsection. She began to feel heat between he thighs and the actions that were about to take place were going to slow for her taste. Even if they had never once gone as quickly and fast paced as they were now.

The forcefulness in which Kakashi slammed her back into the wall snapped the picture from its hinges and crashed to the floor by his feet. She cried out a soft gasp as his body pressed so hard into hers she felt as if they would push right through the wall. His hands ripped their way under her shirt, scrapping Sakura's stomach with his short finger nails and creating a very welcomed burning sensation where ever his hands roamed.

_And these are the lives you'd love to lead.  
Dance.  
This is the way they'd love if they knew how misery loved me_

Her breath hitched when she felt his search end on her breast and he cupped her female trait rather hastily, and immediately she felt her heart skip a beat when he pushed further against her, and seemed to bring her breast, which was still held possessively in his hand, with him.

She moaned with happiness as Kakashi let out a ragged breath onto her lips when her hand roughly grabbed fist full of his silver locks and gave a little tug. He soon hungrily went back to burning his lips against hers, and she soon swore that she could taste blood as his teeth playfully, but painfully, bite her bottom lip.

She hissed in pain but in was soon forgotten as his kisses left her mouth and roamed down her jaw to her neck. The sweet hypnotic motion in which his tongue swept across the skin of her neck, and the captivating expert kisses in which the copy ninja prided himself on sent Sakura's body tingling and squirming beneath his escapable hold.

_You always fold just before you're found out.  
Drink up its last call, last resort, but only the first mistake_

"Bed...room..." Sakura whispered with her breath heavy just like the atmosphere that surrounded her, her hands rubbed the stop on his neck which started just below his hairline. This had always been her favorite spot to rub her hands…Well, her favorite spot that was appropriate to rub in public anyway.

He didn't stop his circle tongue movements over her neck but lifted her off the wall to sit comfortably around his waist. With her strong leg muscles she was very able to keep from sliding off his as she turned her attentions to more important matters, which included the nibbling of his ear and caressing of his fit chest below his shirt. She slipped her fingers under the collar and rubbed over his active collarbones and moving down to the spot in-between his two very delicious pecks, and earning a satisfactory groan of pleasure that ran over her neck and down her back.

The act of proceeding up the stairs turned out to be a difficult task even for the ninja trained parties, as each step would send Kakashi tipping over and Sakura slamming into the wall beside him. But no matter how many times Kakashi's hand needed to shoot out to steady them, never once did it distract either Sakura or the silver haired man from what they wanted, and in time they finally made it to the top floor and moved towards Sakura's room.

With a quick kick to the door the blocked their way, Kakashi and his girl entered the room, and with a kick to the door once again it closed and provided the two with infinite privacy.

_I'm two quarters and a heart down  
And I don't want to forget how your voice sounds_

Immediately Sakura lifted her upper body off of his so that she could get a better view of his shirt, and began to slip her mischievous hands to hem of his white t-shirt and lifted it off of his body. She swore that once it was off, she was looking at the most perfectly scalped physic that ever walked this earth and she couldn't hold her herself back from latching her lips against his broad chest.

He tasted so good.

His own lips slipped from her neck, leaving behind a red and fresh hickey upon her perfectly soft skin, and slipped his hand to the hem of her shirt and lifted it from her body. Her lips left his skin for a split second, as to allow the shirt to skip over her head, before resuming her pervious motions.

He moaned in response to her not so gentle hands took to roaming freely across his scarred yet incredibly defined chest. Her nails felt like claws as they carved away layers of skin in her dominatrix nature He loved it. Oh god he loved her so much.

He vaguely felt her curiosity shift to his back as her hands crawled over his broad shoulders to continue their heated clawing at his back which shifted muscles as he began trying to decode the tricky bra clasp. Finally, he heard the clock, and the last barrier between him and her heavenly chest fell apart in his hands.

_These words are all I have so I'll write them  
so you need them just to get by_

She rolled her shoulders so that the straps slide from her body and Kakashi tossed the article to the carelessly to the floor.

"Kakashi…" Sakura moaned into his chest, sending the vibrant waves of her voice through his body and up his spine. He twisted his body and pushed both of them onto the mattress.

Sakura let out a gasp of surprise as her back bounced on the soft surface of the bed and was collided with the man whose waist she still hung upon. Her lips broke from his chest as he shifted to meet her face to face on the mattress she slept on. It wasn't a second after he had done so that their lips were clashed together again, and Sakura was once more clawing at his already heavily red back.

She bucked under the weight of the man on top of her when she was starting to get uncomfortable, and with the strength of the Hokage herself, pushed Kakashi over onto his back and straddled his chest. He didn't seem to mind or even notice the sudden change of positions as Sakura roughly grabbed each side of his head and clashed her lips over his.

_Why don't you show me the little bit of spine  
you've been saving for his mattress, love_

Kakashi groaned into the mouth of the lady he was kissing and reached up to run his calloused hands through the heavily contrast of the soft bubblegum hair which had immediately captured his eye the first time they had met. With his ever-seeing stubborn eyes closed, he found himself from to truly see what hidden delights that she had to offer…things that he hadn't seen for three years but wanted desperately to see now.

For example, he loved the way her hips swayed and rocked against him with each let go and recapture of his lips in hers. He didn't really know if she did it one purpose to turn him on or if it was just another Sakura trait that she had which no one was meant to understand or know why it was she did it. Whatever the reason, he adored it.

But like Sakura had done moments prior, he twisted his body, along with hers, so that he regained the top position over her tiny yet fit body. She removed her hands from cupping his jaw to tangle over his neck and fall over his back. She felt his hand reach down to the zipper and rip the object that kept her pant done-up, down and slipped his hand inside the opening.

She gasped as she felt him explore what very, very few men have before, but so much gentler then anything they have down up until that point that she had to retract her hands from his shoulder in order to pull the pant down off her thighs so as to make him continue what he was doing longer.

He, however, moved on to other things and slide his hand over the flat smoothness of her stomach to grab her waist and lean in to kiss where his thumb was stationed. He immediately felt her flinch with impatience under his lips, and squirm slightly under his touch and hold, trying to keep herself at bay. His lips trained sweet kisses all over her stomach and abdomen, until he started moving upward to her breasts which were in plain view but she found herself so comfortable with it.

Everything she had was his.

Her hands shot to his pants and she quickly started to fiddle with the task of unzipping the outer shell that kept her from getting to what she wanted. She heard the familiar sound of the zipper opening up and sat up to pull them down. Kakashi, who had also been forced into the sitting position on her bed, sent his lips against hers with his own groan of impatience. He didn't want to wait any longer.

Once his pants were at his ankles he push her back down and hovered over her with only his hands on either side of the bed to keep him from falling on top of her. She opened her brilliant green eyes to capture his in a hungry gaze before she felt his enter her.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Breathless and drenched with body sweet, Kakashi rolled off of her slender body to the chilled sheets of the bed below. His broad and very bare body glistened with preparation from the pleasurable exercise he had just completed with each rise and fall of intake and exhale of air.

The air was thick and heavy with smells that brought a small smile to the women's below face. The heated bodies required no such blankets which, during the intertwining of man and women, had been pushed to the bottom of the bed. Silence fell over the room except for the two sets of breathing from the two who lay next to each other. Naked from head to toe, and with no blankets to cover that fact, neither showed any signs of embarrassment or shyness. Who could after such an utterly personal celebration as the one which they had done?

Running a hand through her outwardly messy hair sex hair, she immediately encountered a huge quantity of knots and tangles, and soon gave up. She felt the most welcomed ache of her body consume her as she tried to smooth out her ragged breathing a smile graced her lips, accompanied by a short laugh. She felt so good.

Rolling over to her side, she shifted as closely against him as possible, her head rolling over onto his smooth chest. With one arm draped across his body she sighed with absolute contentment.

There was no where on earth that she would rather be then right there in his arms, breathing in his scent of the body wash he used every morning and laying in the thick feeling that she adored whenever they made love. It was like nothing that anything else could give her, it was such an original feeling that she couldn't even try to copy it. He made her feel this way. Him and him alone.

Sakura opened her eyes with confusion as she felt a warm strong hand gently grab her wrist and slip her arm from around the body she held. She also soon felt his body shift away from hers and rise from the mattress they had once shared. Sakura felt her heart drop into her chest again as that feeling she loved left her in an instant upon watching the silver haired man walk over and pick up his boxers, slipping them up over the naked part of his bottom half.

"What's the matter?" She whispered, sitting up in the bed, and unlike the man she had shared herself with, didn't bother hiding her exposed breasts to him.

The man in question didn't answer, instead he reached to his discarded pants and pulled them up over his boxers and zipped up the opening once again. Then he bent down and picked up his shirt and slipped it over his body.

"Kakashi…?" Sakura whispered irritably after the moment she had given him to answer her question, the moment he did not take.

She finally heard him sigh heavily and watched his hand run through his tangled silver hair. Finally, he hung his head and spoke to her. "I'm sorry..."He whispered serving to rise on of Sakura's eyebrows in confusion.

"…For what?" She inquired.

"….I lost control…" He whispered and moved away from the bed towards the window.

She couldn't say that she didn't see this coming. Kakashi did, after all, still resent her for leaving and not knowing her reasons for doing so. But she also knew that the mare called the copy ninja was always in control of himself and his actions. Him saying that he had lost his expert control over his body was a load of bullshit to Sakura. She knew that he had wanted her to kiss him, even if she was still the source of his anger; he wanted to make love to her.

"You...lost control?" Sakura replied with a questioning tone.

"…This was a mistake." Those words stung her to her core and were directly responsible to whatever she was to say next.

"Fuck you!" She snapped. "It wasn't a mistake when you kissed me, was it? The all powerful Kakashi being pressured into something he didn't want to do? Are you saying that I twisted your arm and that was the reason for what we just did?" It was the words of a hurting woman.

Kakashi shut his eyes and squeezed them tight. "You kissed me first remember?"

"Oh, so you're saying that you didn't want me to kiss you? It really didn't seem that way when you had you tongue down my throat." She snapped in bitterness. Startled when Kakashi spun around to address her face to face, but determined to stand her ground, Sakura kept her eyes completely focused into his.

"Sakura, stop it alright!" He cried. "I love you more then I need to breathe, and I did want to kiss you and you to kiss me but this wasn't the time."

"Not everything goes according to your plan, Kakashi." She whispered.

"Damn it Sakura, I have no plan! I'm drowning here, do you understand! I've never felt so lost before." Kakashi ran a hand through his hair and torn his gaze off of hers.

"Kakashi you're not lost." She smiled, and slide out of the bed. "I'm here with you, we're together…"She stepped closer to him only to have his withdraw from her.

"…I want to be angry with you…Why won't you tell me why you left? We said, didn't we, that we'd be honest to each other? That there are so many lies in this world but we wouldn't be one of them…You broke the rules." He whispered accusingly.

"Kakashi…I want to hold you again…" She felt tears flood her eyes as she reached out to hold his hand. "Come back to bed…with me…Please."

Kakashi fought against her very, very tempting offer to shake her hand from his and retreat another couple of steps.

"…You're getting married…" He whispered, with his eyes turned downward.

"No, I'm not. I hate that bastard, I broke it off! I never loved him. I would never marry him…Stop making up excuses to deny me. This has nothing to do with my reasons for leaving, or the fact for a brief second I actually wore another man's ring. This is about you. You've built such a strong wall around yourself since I left, that you're scared. You fear that just one person will come along and bring down that wall so easily, the wall you worked so hard to put up to prevent anyone from getting close again. And I know that I'm the reason you put the wall up in the first place, but I remember that I was also the woman to bring down the wall you hand before we got together. I am you're weakness and you are mine…" She replied

Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle sadly after her speech had ended. "What is it like to have me so figured out, Sakura? Tell me what it's like to know what I'm thinking before I even know?"

"I can't help it…You were always a very readable man…all that was needed was a translation." She smiled sadly.

"…But it can't be like this…Don't you understand. I can't feel guilty every time I touch you. I can't feel like I'm betraying myself every time I kiss you." Kakashi couldn't stop his hand from reaching forward and cupping her jaw with the palm of his hand.

"…I'll give you time..." Sakura whispered, reached up and slipping her hand over his. "If it's what you want…I'll give it to you."

Kakashi nodded his head in thanks before slipping his hand from hers and walking out of the door.

Sakura smiled to herself once she heard the door close.

_That had been the first time they had ended a conversation without harsh words or tears._


	18. Talk the talk

Water poured from the pitch black sky and washed over the silver hair which stood in its way of the ground, rolling down his titled forehead, over his tense eyes and down the bridge of his nose. He wanted this water to cleanse if, if that was even possible. He needed it so terribly, the chill and calm in which the rain could certainly provided to the very willing patient.

He couldn't remember exactly how long he had been standing there, but by the increasing quantity of shivers running down his spine, and twitching of his freezing hands made a plausible estimation at about two to three hours.

Maybe more. Maybe less. Truth was he didn't care. All he knew was that no matter how much his body cried out to him for warmth...his entire thoughts were on her.

Yes, her. It seemed nowadays that she had taken permanent residence in his mind, making the idea of the devil himself rising from hell to take the form of a clever pink haired goddess not so farfetched. How could he have ever thought that he was capable of resisting her? He must have been out of his mind.

Kakashi was positive that she knew perfectly well the complete and utter control she herself has on him. What she's always had on him.

His brow knitted together at the sudden sensation of being watched, and immediately his instincts kicked in, careful not to visibly show his alertness, his ever watchful eyes scanned the surrounding landscape.

Three chakra signals sparked his senses. Close by, but no visible bodies could be seen, meaning that they were using a jutsu. Clever, he had to admit, but not clever enough.

Kakashi had been expecting them, wondering where there continuation of the fight which had taken place in Sakura's bedroom a few weeks ago. They were actually late according to the regular counter attack time he had come to estimate.

'Well...this is certainly one very welcomed distraction.' He thought before reaching for his kunai with rapid speed, and tossed them with the accuracy of what was to be expected of a jounin and ex- Anbu member, straight into the chest of one hidden ninja. The jutsu broke immediately and the body became visible as it fell from behind a nearby bush.

Leaping forward, he swept his hand to grab another kunai and clashed with an invisible entity.

"Copy- Ninja!" Came a snarl from a deep throat man right in front of Kakashi's face, and the breathe of air released blew across his features, before he pushed the enemy's weapon back and sliced across what he had to only guess would be a chest. His guess was rewarded by the crimson blood of the body that split from the wound and splattered over Kakashi's dripping face.

Chakra slammed into his shoulder from behind and made Kakashi's features twist with pain and his body lunged forward, his normally perfectly stable footing forced to stumble rather pathetically until he was finally able to still. His breathing hitched drastically as the unbearable stinging of his shoulder muscle drove his body to shudder under such a pain, which, in all of his years as a shinobi, had never been experienced. It felt like his very muscles were deteriorating right of his bone. He mentally swore, knowing full well that the punishment of receiving such an attack was to surely loose rapid control over injured body.

He quickly dropped to one knee dodging the kunai aimed at his head. His eyes desperately searched for the direction in which that attack had it's origins but figured that a smart ninja would have moved from that spot soon after the kunai was thrown.

"Kakashi!!" The scream of the woman echoed from the house and across the large property.

The copy-ninja's eyes shot up to the window of Sakura's room, and noticed the unmistakable movement of an intense struggle taking place before the glass.

The next movement Kakashi made was not based upon that of the required nature of his mission but the fear one would experience for a ...loved one...Yes…perhaps that would be the right word.

The copy ninja sprinted towards the house and shot of the ground, his body in free flight straight towards the targeted room. Concentrating chakra to his able hand, he successfully clung to the bricks without falling. Grunting at the sharp pain that shot through his body with the stress he put of his injured shoulder, he managed to swing a foot and shatter the glass, covering his face from the shards that burst from it. He then took a careful swing back and propelled his body into the room, rolling to protect himself from any attacks. He came to kneel in the pitch black room, a kunai clenched in his fist, ready to attack whenever triggered.

"Drop the weapon or you will bring death upon this girl" Came a whispered voice from where his normal and temporarily useless eye couldn't pin point.

"Release the girl or you'll bring death upon yourself." Kakashi snapped back.

A hoarse laugh, of a voice which seemed to be at it's end, was to be the reply the copy ninja would receive, but like Kakashi had predicted, the man slowly came into view out of the corner of Kakashi's eye. Soon after the man's old face became visible, pink hair of the hostage peered from the darkness, and then her body which was held tightly against the rouge ninja's side. She was still. Not dead, Kakashi sighed one inch of relief, but unconscious. There was no physical damage on her that he could see, so the source of her sleep must be genjutsu or a simple hit to the back of her neck.

"Careful, Copy Ninja, my orders are to bring you back. The girl is an option that I don't have to take. I will kill her if you don't corporate, you can be sure of that." The old man's smile sent the lines in his face gathering together around his eyes.

"Who do you work for?" Kakashi's voice was low, dangerous. Angry.

"You will know soon enough." The man shrugged it off. "Till that time, you will be come with me." Kakashi's eyes caught another presence move in through the window behind him.

"I'd rather not. You see, I have a lot on my mind right now and if you're looking for a fight then I will love to let out some of this steam. But you will put her down, now." Kakashi's eyes glared straight towards the man who still clenched Sakura's limp body.

"And if I don't." The man grinned.

Suddenly Kakashi's sharp cry of pain echoed through the house, his vision blurred so matter how he tried to focus. He legs gave out, till he fell onto all fours, pressing the palm of his hand deep into the eye that radiated tremendous painstaking agony through his head and entire body. His breathing hitched as if each exhale of air was forced out through his constricted throat. He could feel his body tense to the extreme that he began to shake horribly, and finally his trembling arm gave out and he fell face first to the floor.

Nothing he had ever come to call pain could even remotely compare to what he felt now. He felt as if he was dieing.

"...Carry him...Bring the girl..." He heard nothing after that.

ll--------------------------------------------------------------ll

Burning into the conscious man's arms, the charka concentrated restraints forced his hands behind his back and served as an inescapable binding. Not that, in his current position, Kakashi was even capable of thinking of escaping or even how he would go about doing that. His mind was unable to focus thoughts that could help him, all could know was that his brain felt like it was burning right off the bone inside his head. He didn't know why, and he didn't care, all he wanted was the pain to stop. Knowing that he was completely in the control of whoever was able to do so.

He wasn't aware that he had even stopped, as his captors unlocked the chains, and lifted the latches, or even that the door right before him had opened. He was roughly tossed to the ground, his feet fumbling like useless matter beneath him until his shoulder slammed onto rock and sliced open his skin.

A moment passed as Kakashi lay there, fighting with all his might not to cry under the pressure, he heard someone call his name. Funny why he was finally able to hear someone, but for a moment the pain opened like a door just enough to let in a woman's voice before shutting and he was once again cut from the world.

"S-Sa…" His mouth couldn't form a word so it was left to merely hang open in the aftermath.

Cold hands, too cold hands, touched his face.

"Kakashi…" Sakura's eyes tiered up as she fell onto him with what she could hope would be a hug. "I was so scared that you..." She cried, her tears running down the bridge of her nose to drip onto Kakashi's body.

"S…Sa..." He choked out words through the pain, not waiting for any brief intervals because he knew he would no longer be given this luxury. It never stopped.

He felt the pressure of her weight lift from his body.

"Are you hurt?" She asked.

"M…My...He...H…"He gave up trying to speak after that. Hoping that she could understand with what she had.

"You're head?" Sakura asked, receiving a one way head nod as response, the groan of pain was enough answer as she focused her hands onto his head flinching at the heat of his skin.

"Hold on..."Sakura pleaded and focused her charka to her hands. Unlike that silver haired man in front of her, she had most of her chakra left and was, at that moment, very gratefully for that.

She frowned herself frowning in concern. Something was blocking her chakra flow from getting to all of his nerves. She couldn't figure out what it could be, so she stopped in order to prevent accidentally damage.

"I'm afraid that won't work." Came a eerily calm voice that echoed against the small prison cell walls, so even though Sakura lifted her head in search, she couldn't see a thing.

"Who are you?!" She yelled in her best threatening voice that she could muster in that particular situation.

A chuckle was her reply.

"Someone not important."

The metal clinked and the heavy door that once sealed them in the darkness swung open and let the blinding white lights of the outside pierce the fierce black and stung her eyes. The eyes of the only one who was able to look.

Using her cuffed hands to shield her eyes, she turned her head when this measure failed to completely work. Soft foot steps could be heard entering the cell, drawing closer and closer to her until she felt rough hands grab her by the shoulders, and yank her to her feet.

"Let go!!" She struggled feebly against the hands that refused to release, as they dragged her unwilling body away from Kakashi and out of the cell.

The man with the sharigen never moved, yet trembled helplessly with his own demons on the stone floor.

ll----------------------------------------------------------ll

Grunting at the pain of having the two rather huge men gapping at her wrists and body, she tried to struggle against the direction she had being forced to head down but failed to break free.

"Let me go!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, the volume of her voice practically shaking the walls around her until she received a hard smack to the back of her neck that silenced her. She gasped out before letting her head hang limp and the allowed the struggling to come to its bitter end.

She groaned as she heard the unlatching of heavy doors, and the chill burst of air rush from the room, blowing through her hair.

"Bring her over here, please." She heard a mutter over the moans that escaped her throat and felt the two men drag her limp body across the extremely cold room, before roughly tossing her to the rough floor. She hissed in pain as the skin of her knees ripped from her body and the awkward position her body landed caused her arms to scrap against the floor as well.

"Miss. Haku. Or, should I refer to you as Miss Sakura Haruno instead?" Sakura's eyes lifted to see a tall man with short messy brown hair. His eyes were curved in a disturbing matter, so she couldn't tell what color they were. Not that she cared.

"Who are you?" She grumbled as she struggled to lift herself off the floor, but gasped as his foot pressed deep into the spine of the back of her neck.

"Now, please don't try to get up just yet. We wouldn't want you to hurt yourself…At least not until the other party arrives." He kept smiling all the while, and finally lifted his painful attack, much to the relief of the women on the floor.

She heard his footsteps recede from her, and the clinking of strange materials. Just as she lifted her head to see what he was doing, she saw Kakashi's body thrown to the floor beside her.

"Kakashi?!" She cried out but immediately forgot the hidden identity rule that the copy ninja had enforced.

"It's alright, Miss Haruno. It should be quite obvious I know of his real name just as I know of yours. And don't worry, I knew long before your hissy fit at the photo shoot or all those feuds inside your house and before you once again let it slip just now." Came the reply.

"Who-"

"I assure you that I heard you the first time you asked me that question, and I also heard the three times you asked after that." Sakura couldn't help but flinch when the man turned to face her, that same disturbing smile on his face. "Now that Mr. Hatake has arrived, I think I shall answer that question. However, I should make you two more…what's the word...Comfortable."

Sakura gasped as she was roughly lifted from the ground from the roots of her hair, and dragged her towards the latches that hung on the wall. She let out a cry of pain as she felt strands of her hair pulled from her scalp into her captors' hand. Next, they threw her to the wall and her back slammed painfully into the surface. She grunted as the breath was forced from her lungs. Before she could actually judge what had happened, her arms were lifted above her head, the cuffs around her wrist were latched to the hooks and she became glued against the stone wall. Her feet were always imprisoned below her.

"Yes, that's better." The man sighed. Sakura continued to feebly struggle but soon her arms un-tensed and she fell back to a hanging limp. Turning to glance to her right, she saw that Kakashi was in a similar predicament.

"Kakashi…" Sakura whispered in a concerned tone. From what she could see, he was still plagued with the extreme pain centered in his head. His face was practically dripping wet with sweet.

Suddenly a needle appeared in the man's hand as he filled with some sort of liquid from a bottle which he had pulled out from his lab coat pocket.

"What is that? What are you doing to him?!" Sakura cried as the end of the needle was pressed deep into Kakashi's left temple. This went unknown to the silver haired man. With a swift press of the thumb, the liquid was emptied into Kakashi's head. Sakura watched in amazement as his twisted face relaxed immediately.

"There, now he should be able to understand us. The man removed the needle and casually threw it over his shoulder.

His head felt a million times better almost in an instant, leaving him with a considerably smaller headache which was absolutely bearable. His eyes were heavy and sleepy, so much that he had to fight against falling to sleep right there. But he had to stay wake, he had to be conscious in order to protect Sakura.

He groaned heavily and forced his eyes to slowly and painfully rise to see what could possibly be a pair of shoes standing before him.

"Kakashi…" He heard a sigh of relief coming from his left and struggled to turn his head to see who it was, but in the end weakness proved too strong and his head fell back against his chest. He knew that voice anywhere. He too sighed in relief, Sakura was alive.

"Welcome Mr. Hatake." Kakashi's bloodshot eyes lifted in order to see a tall man standing before him.

"Who-" His voice was hoarse beyond belief. So much that Sakura had trouble hearing him.

"My name is Nabu. And I shall be God for the rest of your lives." Nabu replied with a huge toothy smile that made Sakura flinch.

"I see." Kakashi mumbled, regaining some of his voice back, and let his tired head drift back down to an easier angle.

"Why?" Sakura asked. "Why do you keep Kakashi here when it's me you want?" Her green eyes glared deep into Nabu's, as he raised his eyebrow.

"Oh?" He inquired.

"Just let him go…He had no part in this. He's here because he was ordered to be, Release him and take me." She pleaded.

Kakashi didn't reply.

"My, my, Miss. Haruno. I believe you have been misled. It's unfortunate." Nabu gave a short shake of his head and moved a step to stand before Sakura.

"What?" She whispered in confusion.

"You never had anything to do with this." Kakashi finally spoke up, making Sakura turn to him in surprise. He didn't lift his head nor eyes but continued," This entire mission was a set up."

Nabu's smile never broke.

"A set up. For what?" Sakura whispered as if Nabu couldn't hear them.

"Think about it. Think about how many perfect opportunities they had to kill you. These are Jounin ninja's we're talking about, think about how many times they could have out matched me in strength, and strategy. Yet they chose none? They sent those absolutely insulting ninja's in their place, just to keep us on our toes." Kakashi replied.

"…They were toying with us…" Sakura whispered, finally realizing what Kakashi knew all along.

"Your reputation precedes you Mr. Hatake. But it's still puzzling why, with all this information, you still allowed yourself and Miss Haruno to be captured?" Nabu inquired, turning from the pair and folding his hands behind his back. He moved around the room with the patience of a saint. "Surely the genius mind of the copy ninja of leaf could have outsmarted, out planned and out executed the men you refer to as insulting." Nabu glanced over his shoulder at the man behind him.

"Well, my eye was a huge contributor." Kakashi mumbled.

Nabu chuckled. "Ah, yes, the eye."

"What did you do to it?"

"It wasn't me directly, so the blame must be placed elsewhere unfortunately." He replied continuing his stroll.

"What did you do?" Kakashi repeated casually. He wasn't in a rush. He knew he couldn't escape in his current position, let alone get Sakura with him as well. He knew he had to buy his time. For the right time.

"The dosage of the drug called Hepsophian was small. Small enough to be undetectable if one doesn't know what is to be looked for. Its effect is totally incompliant with the normal eye. But on special ones, its effect is most helpful. It works to stress out the retinas of over sensitive eyes. It won't kill you, but it will immobilize the all powerful Hatake Kakashi." Nabu smiled, even though the copy ninja wasn't looking.

"How'd you give it to me?" Kakashi pressed further in for answers.

"It was added to the water supply far before your little 'mission' began. It slowly began surfacing until your spell just hours ago, which was its climax. If I didn't give the medicine I did, you would be near death right now." He sighed as if it wasn't a care in the world. "And we wouldn't want that. The medicine itself neutralizes all detection of the drug in your body. Permanently."

Sakura inwardly sighed in relief.

"Unfortunately, the usage of such an eye after detox is unfathomable for at least 200 hours. But you'll be dead before that happens."

"So…What's your job here, to fill us in on the details? Pretty useless." Sakura commented, deciding to step in and immediately centre herself as a key player in this game.

"You're in such a rush, Miss Haruno. But what do you expect will come after our introductions have ended?" Nabu paused his walk to turn and face her.

"I expect to kill you." Sakura smiled, feeling a sense of adrenalin in the prospect of getting back into business which she left three years ago. But Nabu only chuckled.

"Such threats from such a tiny woman. This is fun."

"Come on, you smartass bastard. You know so much about us, you must know that I've trained under the Hokage of Fire Country and I will break all your bones with a flick of my finger!!" Sakura cried. Struggling against the chains on her wrists and ankles, but finding them to have chakra bindings.

Kakashi remained silent through the shouting of the women beside her. Knowing that this front she put on of being tough and undefeatable was nothing but a front. It was her way of dealing with the interrogation, just as the Hokage had taught her. But Kakashi knew that this hadn't even begun yet, and that the worse was to come.

"Oh, that I do, Miss. Haruno." Nabu smiled. "That I do. But I also know that you wasted such a one in a lifetime opportunity to train further under the Hokage herself, because of boyfriend troubles." He gave a condescending laugh and once again turned his back.

Sakura fell silent. Her front of all power washed away and the self doubt filled the hole.

"It wasn't like that." She whispered. Kakashi knew that she was done being strong in front of Nabu, the man would most certainly, eat her up now. So, in order to save her soul, Kakashi chose to enter the game.

"Is this what really concerns you, Nabu? It's a pity you have to waste you time, but you could have just come to the house and talked to us there." Kakashi replied.

"But you can't really blame a girl for sticking to what she knows, can you?" Nabu ignored Kakashi's input. "If she can't get what she needs for you, then it's her right to look for satisfaction elsewhere. Don't you agree, Sakura?"

"It's not-"

"This is a nice room, Nabu." Kakashi lifted his bloodshot eyes to stare up at their capture. "Do your boyfriends get chained to the walls or do you?"

Sakura turned to look at him. She knew what he was doing. Trying to play games, trying to switch the heat from them to Nabu, and put him under the spotlight. But who it work?

"You're so amusing, Kakashi. I really have no idea what would have posses Sakura to leave you." Nabu fired back without a moment of hesitation and with complete composer.

"Now I get it. You're the physiological interrogator. What's the matter; you don't have the balls to get answers from us without talking? Maybe you should go hide in the shadows and call out your better half, and STOP WASTING OUR FUCKING TIME-" Sakura gasped when Nabu stuck Kakashi's face with a hard backhand. Kakashi's head twisted towards her and she could see blood pouring from his lips.

"Kakashi!" She cried, but stopped with she heard his chuckle.

"There you go." Kakashi whispered and lifted his tired head back to face Nabu who continued to remain unmoved. "You're finally growing a pair. Antonio will be so proud-" Sakura gasped again when Nabu repeated his attack to Kakashi's face, and this time his head twisted away from her.

"You slap like a bitch." Kakashi chuckled and lifted his head again, spitting blood onto Nabu's shirt.

"Are you finished?" He asked with a grin. Well, Sakura thought, at least he's not smiling anymore.

"Leave him alone, you fucking doorknob!" Sakura cried out.

"Sticks and stone, Miss. Haruno. Sticks and Stones" Nabu chanted and turned to continue his stroll, leaving Sakura to watch Kakashi's heavy and painful breathing. Despite what he said, she knew Kakashi was still in pain from his head.

"Kakashi…" She whispered in concern not expecting him to answer.

"May I ask you a rather personal question? I'm just unable to hold it any longer!" Nabu returned to smiling. "So, my question is…If you love him, Sakura…Why do you insist on making him suffer? All he wishes is to know why you broke his heart, yet you insist on keeping it from him." Nabu sighed.

Sakura turned her head, trying to ignore him but when his breathe flooded across her neck and his hand grace over the outline of her face, and she had to try to keep from whimpering.

"Sakura..." He whispered into her ear but loud enough to make sure Kakashi heard him. "..You are more heartless then I am…" She narrowed her eyes when she heard him chuckle.

Knowing in her soul, that he was right in everything he said.


	19. You are torture

_Italics flashback_

Sakura let out an unladylike grunt when she was tossed into the cold damp cell, along with Kakashi. She rolled painfully until she stopped but soon felt his body clash against hers and loose momentum thanks to the wall she created.

He was warm. She could feel his heat against her goose bumped skin even if it was just for a second before he rolled off and away from her. She would have felt saddened by his continuing dismissal if it hadn't been for her own disgust with the interrogation with Nabu that ended just before. She huddled herself into a ball and shivered. She could still feel his breath against her skin and she hated it. She squeezed her eyes shut but it couldn't stop the memories he had stirred once again. It would seem that memories of that nature never stay in the past.

"_My dear, Sakura. You are more heartless then I am."_

Sakura fought against the urge to cry for a number of reasons. She didn't cry because she knew that he, or one of his partners, was constantly watching her. And she didn't cry because Kakashi was near, listening even though he wouldn't admit it. But what she allowed herself to do was retreat back away from where he lay, up against the back wall.

Her arms were tied behind her back with metal chains and fixed to remain there as she could feel her chakra bidden behind the cuffs around her wrists. It made an uncomfortable situation that much more uncomfortable.

It took a few moments of silence and calming before she regained her once lost composure. Realizing that Kakashi couldn't be seen through the pitch black room, she whispered his name. But of course he didn't reply.

"…Things will get harsh now that they've sized us up…" She heard his voice minutes after, and nodded to herself in agreement. "They probably won't split us up. Using the past history we have seemed to be the only thing Nabu has to go on, but there will be others with more…direct ways."

"What do they want from us; money?" Sakura suggested.

"No. They want something of much more value." Kakashi's tone told her that he was finished with that topic and with good reason as Sakura soon heard the movement of a video camera just above their heads.

"I want to know who's behind this." Sakura thought out loud. "Surely these dumb assholes couldn't be!" She shouted at the camera so the ones watching could hear. No reply came, so she slumped back against the wall. "How's your eye?"

"Better."

"Did he break your jaw?" She recalled the two hard slaps he received by Nabu for shooting his mouth off, and the blood Kakashi had spit up afterwards.

"No."

"…I'm sorry…" Sakura whispered.

"…"

"I'm sorry that they use me as way to hurt you."

"…You can change that." He whispered with his rasp voice. It sounded like those times when you wake up in the middle of the night and whisper so softly because disturbing the quiet is hard. "Tell me why you left and they can't use that as an advantage against us anymore."

Sakura hung her head in the darkness. He wanted to know so badly, yet she wanted so badly for him not too. They were at a standoff when it came to that matter.

"…I told you-"

"I know. You can't." He sighed with boredom. She heard his clothing rustle as she assumed he was lifted himself up against the wall opposite her.

The surfaces behind her back and underneath her legs were so cold that it stung, and the chill in the air made the skin on her arms numb and still. Cold was a weapon used by ninjas to torture prisoners without kunai or knives; but still to torture them. No one could last long in such a temperature but she knew that they wouldn't let them die. Kakashi had told her they were after another purpose; a purpose that needed them to live. Strange hold that gave her a sense of comfort.

Her ears perked up when she heard the metal door swing open and clash with the stoppers. Her heart race quickened immediately. Were they back for more?

But instead she heard a metal dish slide across the floor and stop somewhere she couldn't see. The metal doors slammed shut again and they were left in darkness.

"What is it?" Sakura inquired and scanned the darkness around her for Kakashi.

"It's food." She heard him reply. "Beef jerky."

Her stomach rumbled at the perfect time and she slowly slid her legs from under her. She stumbled across the dark room, cautiously not to step on him, until her bare foot touched his thigh and she fell to her knees beside him. Her hungry eyes scanned for any sign of the food, but couldn't make it out.

"Where is it?" She whispered.

"It's right in front of the knee closest to you." Kakashi replied. "It's on a metal plate." Sakura bent forward, bowing down until her face could feel the cold rising from the stone floor, and her nose touched a metal surface. She wasted no time in latching her tongue onto a dried piece of meat and drawing it into her mouth, much a four legged animal.

She didn't care, at that moment. The fact that they were being treated as dogs, was overwhelmed with the pleasure of eating something; even if it was only jerky, something that didn't have a chance of filling either her stomach or his.

"…It's been a long time since I was last tortured." She whispered, trying to make conversation. It's inevitable that one day a ninja will be captured. As genin they are made aware of this fact, as chunnin and jounin, they are trained what to do when that situation will arise. They are also made aware of the fact that once captured a lot of planning and strategic actions must be taken into consideration in order to escape; if escape is possible.

She may have rustle skills when is comes to taijutsu and everything else, but she has most defiantly not forgotten wheat is means to be a ninja.

"..But, it's not something that can be forgotten, right?" She sighed and bent forward to get another piece of jerky, felling the breath of his movement as he leaned back just before her face met his.

She could hear him chewing, but something was off. His jaw may not be broken, but it was most defiantly swollen and that made eating a challenge.

"I could heal your jaw, if you want…" Sakura suggested quietly, her eyes beginning to adjust to the dark and beginning yo make out the outline of his hunched over form.

"No," He declined, nicer then usual. "Save your chakra, you're going to need it."

"Do you have a plan?" She whispered hopefully and quietly as if the ones watching them couldn't hear it.

"I'm thinking." He replied. Sakura, with her hopes fallen, leaned in for another piece when the doors swung open again and the silhouettes of four figures stormed the dark room where Sakura and Kakashi were being held. She had to look away because the light burned her eyes and was scared to think of how Kakashi felt. His eye still wasn't close to being operational and after years and years of being his medic, she knew the light stung even when the sharigen was cooperating. It hurt to image what pain he must be feeling now.

Rough hands grabbed both of her arms and she cried out when it pinched her skin as they lifted her tired body off the floor. She managed to see Kakashi being treated the same as her, and soon the four men had dragged both of them back down the hallway that leaked and swollen the floor with a river.

They opened a door and roughly tossed the pink haired woman inside without care. She hit the floor and groaned at her raw skin, tilting her head to an angle that was unnatural in order to see where Kakashi was taken, she saw the two men chaining him to a similar prison against the wall.

Why hadn't they chain her up as well? She dreaded the answer.

"Welcome back." She tiled her head back to see Nabu sitting in a chair opposite to them. "I hope you spent your 10 minute break efficiently." That sickening smirk was in full bloom once again.

"Fuck you." Sakura spat and struggled to sit up, only to have a foot of iron kick her in the chest and send her sprawled out of her back, arms tangled beneath her in a painful matter. She glanced up into the solemn face of an ex-ninja of cloud.

"Let me introduce, Inu-san." Nabu's voice rang in her ears like the voice of a knife cutting into her skin.

"It's a pleasure..." Sakura chided through the strain in her voice. The position she lay in was an uncomfortable one, with her arms tied behind her back and pressing against her lungs, it left her struggling to breathe properly.

"He's a very talented ninja of cloud, as you can plainly see. Banished from his home country, because he killed three children who were laughing a bit too loud outside his windowsill. Slit their throats and didn't even bother to hide the bodies."

"You don't like kids huh?" Sakura rolled over onto her side where breaths were in a plenty. "I can relate."

"Oh, Kakashi-san?" Nabu addressed the copy ninja who had, so far, gone under the radar.

"I thought I'd switch things up, I hope you don't mind. You've been getting the majority of my attention these past 11 hours, and I think Sakura-chan is getting quite jealous. So," He uncrossed his legs and rose from the chair like he's been waiting to do so all day. "It's all on you now my dear. Will you be able to handle it, I wonder?" He mused and staked over to where she lay, crouching down next to her head.

"Bring it on, you pathetic half nuts." She murmured, which sent Nabu's smirk into a full blown toothy smile.

"Good." A hard kick to the gut left Sakura gasping for air, and huddled into the fetus position, letting out soft winces that shuttered threw her body.

"You're looking for symphonies where they do not exist." Nabu chanted and bent down to grab a handful of her pink hair, yanking it until she thought her scalp was bleeding. "I assure you I don't make the habit of taking it easy because you're a woman." Sakura cried out in pain, as Nabu bent down to stick his nose deep into her hair and inhaled a predatory smell. "I will hurt you just as I will hurt him." He leaned back and smiled into her face. "Maybe even more so; we'll have to play it by ear." With that he gave a rough shove against her head that sent her falling limp to the stone floor again.

"This was what I was banished for, you know." He sighed as he strolled casually over to where Kakashi's form hung from the wall. "They told me my interrogation techniques were too harsh." His titled his head up closer to Kakashi's head that hung loosely against his chest, and covered his eyes with his hair. "Like torture techniques could ever be considered 'too harsh'. If you ask me, I get to the point of talking much, much faster."

"Exactly what is your point?" Kakashi's voice spoke up as he lifted his head to glare casually into the eyes of Nabu's which not far away.

"Oh, no!" Nabu chuckled. "I said that this was Sakura-Chan's time and you will not make me change my mind!" He waved a playful finger in the copy ninja's face. "Naughty; naughty."

The sound of Sakura's grunt tilted Kakashi's gaze away but he still caught the movement of the leg that collide with her back. A hand tilted up and grabbed Kakashi's jaw in an iron grip and forced it back down to where Sakura was getting beaten.

"Why are you turning away?" Nabu whispered with each word dripping with venom. "Isn't this the woman who broke your heart? Who lied to you for years and left without an inch of mercy; without ever glancing back? Shouldn't you be happy to see her like this?" Kakashi's eyes shut and he tried to force himself to look away, but Nabu didn't allow it, until finally the banished ninja's hand shoved Kakashi's head against the wall and strolled back over to Sakura, running his nose along his own hands.

"You smell familiar to me." He paused. "But where, have I……Wait; now I know. I should've known that smell, anywhere." Nabu replied and once again knelt down beside the woman who gasped for breath through the violent coughs. "It's his smell; his own brand of sex. He's had you in that last 24 hours, hasn't he?" Nabu broke out into a full laugh, clenching his stomach as the muscles tightened. "Kakakshi-san!" He choked out through the fits of laughter, until he finally calmed down. "You're such a funny guy!" He once again rose and strolled over to Kakashi. "You think she loves you?" Leaning in closer until his face was inches from the copy ninja's. "She doesn't love you….she loves to hurt you." He whispered, the air from his words brushing against Kakashi's face and making him want to be sick.

"Why Nabu..." Kakashi grinned. "That sounds strongly of bitterness." Nabu's lips broke out into a smirk. "You've had women troubles as well, huh?" Nabu leaned back.

"You just can't bare the fact that you're not in the spotlight, huh? Fine, I'll pay attention to you, if you really want me too." Nabu's finger smacked Kakashi's cheek a couple times.

"Sorry, but I'm not into that sort of thing." Kakashi retorted. "If I'm guilt of leading you on in anyway, I apologize". The copy ninja was struck in the abdomen with such a force that he felt his eyes bulge in pain before his head fell limp against his chest.

Nabu calmly strolled back over to where Sakura lay and ripped her up off the ground like a bag of dirt, before tossing her forcefully against Kakashi's body. She let of a grunt once she collided, then fell to her knees at his feet in pain.

"Inu-san." Nabu ordered and the tall ex cloud ninja moved to grab Kakashi's face, forcing it to stare directly ahead while Nabu once again took hold of the pink haired woman. Dragging to where Kakashi's eyes were directed, he let her fall as he strolled over to a metal table that held an assorted number of objects.

"It's my understanding, Kakashi-san…" The interrogator begun as the sound of metal scrapping filled the room. "That you took a little trip to Omi Company, a few days ago. Is this correct?"

Nabu received no answer.

"And upon you're little field trip, you uncovered a few photographs and stray documents." He finally turned around and Sakura's eye caught the shine of a worn out knife, making her heart skip a beat. "You, of course, took care of those guards but unfortunately you missed one…"

At that moment, the door swung open and a chained up man was tossed by Sakura's feet.

Kakashi recognized his as one of the guards who were watching over the items he stole. There was only one left due to the fact that he killed the other. Damn it; he knew what was coming.

'Sakura…" He silently cried.

The pink haired girl watched the man's eyes look around terrified and heard his screaming behind the duct tape around his lips. She watched in horror as Nabu knelt down behind the man and in front of Sakura, lifted the knife and plunged it deep into the mans head; quieting the screamed instantly. Sakura's eyes widened as the knife dragged around until it was ripped out of the top of his skull.

She let out a blood curling scream as the man's insides spattered all over her face and body.

"I want to do terrible things to you, Sakura…" Nabu laughed and lunged over the fallen man and stabbed her shoulder.

"Sakura!!!" Kakashi screamed, watching as the knife sunk deep into her flesh, until it was retracted and Nabu leaned in to press his lips against her wound.

She was still screaming. It was so loud that it hurt Kakashi's ears, but Nabu seemed to be enjoying it like a drug. When he did bring his face from her shoulder, his lips and surrounded face was drenched with crimson blood; Sakura's blood.

"Where are the documents, Kakashi-San?" He chanted, glaring at the copy ninjas' stiff body over the sobbing girls form.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Nabu lifted the knife in an instant and slicked the skin on her face open, from chin to nose. It was dripping blood before he had a chance to cry 'stop'.

"Don't play games with me, Kakashi-san." Nabu warned.

"I don't remember, exactly. There at the house somewhere." Kakashi replied.

"You don't recall? Well, we know how to solve that dilemma, don't we? Blood always help us; the blood of a friend or a lover. If I make Sakura bleed, will you remember then?" Nabu ran the face of the blade along his tongue; making noises no human could possible make while drinking blood.

"….She's already bleeding…" Kakashi whispered, sparking the attention of the interrogator, who let out a deep chuckle of amusement.

"There you go!" He cried. "That's the kind of talk I love to hear. Do you want to have a go?" He asked offering the knife to the man who couldn't possible reach out a take it if he wanted to. "Here," Nabu rose from his crouch and staked over to the hanging man and shoved the knife into his face as an offering. "Have a go."

"Alright", Kakashi smirked. "Untie me…and I promise you, I'll do some damage."

"On second thought, perhaps you are best suited to watch?" Nabu's offering fell back at his side and he turned away. Kakashi watched in disgust as his tongue swabbed around his mouth, licking at the blood that remained before turning his gaze down at Sakura who lay on her stomach before him. The concrete floor was already puddling with the blood that escaped through the wound in her shoulder.

"You can't go on like this Sakura…." Nabu whispered. "Soon your blood will run out… Your body will give up….Your heart will stop beating …and you will die." He set the knife back down on the table and a metal clink echoed throughout the room. "….And he will watch… He's pathetic, isn't he? Big, strong, copy ninja…and he can't stop me from killing you…He's looking at you right now…You're dying and he's letting you die…."

"I'm not dead yet, you sack of shit…" Sakura coughed out, her body weak and her voice blurry through the blood that gathered in her mouth. She spit it out, all over his shoes and chuckled.

Nabu opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the metal door swinging open. Tilting his head at the distraction, his lips curled in a smirk.

"It's about time you meet the man who put you both here, huh?" Kakashi's head lifted to see who it was.

"Please come in………..Keiichi-Sama."


	20. Forgiveness

Kakashi's tired eyes saw the young boy walk into the pitch black room like he was strolling through a field of flowers on a Sunday afternoon. Apparently he didn't care that blood was everywhere, and that the stench of it could make any normal person gag. Instead, his eyes looked comforted by the smell.

"Good evening, Hatake-san." He replied, strolling towards him with his hands clashed casually behind his back. "You look horrible."

"Keiichi." Kakashi smirked, and lifted his nose up at the boy. "This would appear to be a most unfortunate turn of events."

"Yes, it would seem. Of course it won't take a great deal of intelligence to figure out my involvement. Surely you mustn't be too taken aback?" The boy strolled over to where Kakashi hung and gave him a direct stare. One that Kakashi was sure wouldn't exist if the circumstances weren't as they were.

"No." Kakashi replied. "To be honest I kinda saw this coming." His gaze left Keiichi to drift down to check on Sakura, seeing she was heaved over trying to compose herself and heal the damage. Blood still covered her face and she looked as if she was struggling to keep herself from throwing up in disgust.

He forced his gaze back into the eyes of his attacker and glared with all his being. "You didn't fool anyone, sitting behind that desk."

"Whatever can you mean?" Keiichi challenged right back.

"I mean that from the first moment I saw you I knew you were a piece of shit." Kakashi saw the boy's mask of power slip for a moment and reveal an injured ego. The copy ninja was quick to act upon it, as he continued the insults. "Underneath that fancy suit and beyond that large desk you're nothing but a coward."

"Keep talking, copy ninja." Keiichi put on a fake smirk that wasn't quite pulling it off, and made a silent vow to keep his composure. "All you're doing is making things harder on yourself... he turned to address the pink haired woman at his feet, "and Miss Haruno.

"Time is running out." Nabu commented from his quiet place aside from the conversation. "How long can you actually expect to stall us, Kakashi-san? You can not think of escaping, and Sakura's wounds are taking their toll on her." 

Kakashi swallowed the lump in his throat when Nabu once again strolled over to Sakura's tired body and lifted her chin to pull her gaze up. The man was insane. He had just stabbed her moments before and now he was handling her as if she were priceless.

"She is strong, to be sure." His calculating eyes scanned her over. "Tsunade taught her well and she's slowly beginning to heal herself. But the damage the knife inflicted is deep and harsh and the chakra needed to heal it would be extensive. Chakra neither you nor her can afford to waste at present." He left her head to fall back onto her chest and rose to meet the man hanging on the wall. "So, I will ask you again. I advise you to answer me truthfully. Where are the-"

"I knew from the second I found out you had visited Omi Company that you knew totally about the situation with the Banished ninja. You even went as far as to organize and supervise the way it all carried out." Kakashi replied. "Sakura was just a decoy, a distraction."

"I was under pressure from Tsunade the uncover Omi company's actions. She even went as far as to give me a deadline. A month, I had a month to send her a detailed report for her to act upon accordingly. Of course, considering my involvement, that wouldn't due. But as the due date neared, I was surprised with the phone call stating that she was sending in some help. A ninja of leaf, to be precise. I told her that I was working as fast as I could but she was relentless. So I made up the little white lie about Sakura Haruno's well being." Keiichi smirked. "That certainly made an impact. She demanded to know the details and when I told her, she was quick to chance the plan upon the distressing of hearing about her most beloved student. She informed that the second Kakashi Hatake arrived he was to be informed of the dilemma and put to guarding her. And suddenly, problem solved. I could successfully run Omi Company on the down low while you played hero to the woman who never had anything do with anything. It was mere luck that you two already had a previous history."

"You didn't honestly think it was going to be as simple as that did you?" Kakashi commented afterwards. "That just because her student was I danger that she would forget about everything else? The Hokage is a smart woman, Keiichi, and I knew that she's well aware of you're doings."

"She couldn't possibley." Keiichi replied rather smug in his position of power.

"I beg to differ." Kakashi smiled sweetly. "I was informed recently by Tsunade herself that the other countries have be updated on current issues and a pact has been against you favor."

Keiichi's face paled. "You're lying."

"They're in agreement." Kakashi shrugged. "Once the month trial period runs out, the armies from surrounding this country will attack and I promise you, that you will be punished severely for these actions. In fact, you were already in deep shit before you kidnapped the Hokage student and a jounin ninja but now, its must worse I'm afraid."

Keiichi glared at the unfazed jounin before turning away. "Lock them up." He ordered and stacked out of the chamber not as calmly as he had entered.

Kakashi smirked even as his hands were unchained from the walls and he slumped forward onto the bodies of the huge man in charged of carrying him away. His sore eyes lifted in search of Sakura and watched as she was yanked to her feet. He heard her let out a scream of pain when her wound was attacked by the man's fingers, and Kakashi immediately began a futile struggle against the iron hold on his arms to try to get to her.

They were dragged down the corridor and tossed into their cell. Kakashi landed with oomph but was on his knees in a second and crawling towards the woman next to him who was withering in pain. 

"Kakashi," she choked out when she felt his hand press into her wound. 

He swore at the size and magnitude of the damage, and lifted his hand to tare off the sleeve of her shirt. She made no sound of protest to him under dressing her in such a manor, instead she inhaled deep breaths of air to control her breathing.

"Why are you healing yourself?" He demanded as he pushing the only means of a bandage into her shoulder.

"My, my hands, are tied." She whispered, suddenly falling forward into his lap. Kakashi twisted her so he had access to the massive bleeding.

"Sakura, heal yourself." He whispered, his voice iced with worry. She was bleeding far too much. 

"I can't," She gasped in pain. "I , I forgot how to heal myself with my hands… I'm sorry." She was smiling up at him, he could see it even in the dark. "I'm so sorry."

"Sakura you need to try, you're losing too much blood and I can't stop it." Kakashi pressed even harder and Sakura cried out in pain, weak hands clenching desperately at him. "Try, Sakura." He pleaded, tightening his hold on her weak body.

"I…" She whispered. "I'm ready to tell you what, what happened. "

Kakashi turned his gaze away from her soft eyes. She was talking as if these were her last words and he hated it, he couldn't stand it.

"Sakura, please.."

"It was, after Genma's birthday party, just after you…" He felt her weak hand on his jaw and felt the uncontrollable urge to lean into it. "Just after you purposed to me." He inwardly smiled at the memory, but it faded when her hand fell from his skin. "I told you that I would walk home because I had a meeting with Tsunade early the next morning. You stayed behind to drink with Genma.

"Raido, he followed me. He was so drunk that he didn't even know…" She swallowed. "He didn't even know who I was. He started to…He …raped me." She burst out in tears.

Kakashi felt his heart drop right into his stomach and his lungs decided to stop needing air. His eyes went unfocused as he stared at the bloody rage in his hands.

"Raped?" He choked out suddenly remember that he couldn't survive without air and inhaled desperately needing it. "Raido…raped you…"

Sakura slowly nodded, letting out heart wrenching sobs only intervened by gaps of pain. "I couldn't tell you...I couldn't stand to have you look at me with the same eyes you are now. Like I disgust you. I know I do, I can't stand to look at myself." 

Kakashi opened his mouth but was at a loss for words. He wasn't aware what kind of expression Sakura saw on his face but he knew it couldn't possibly be what she thought is was. He was furious. He was so angry at her, at Raido at everything.

"How could you keep this from me?" He asked through clenched teeth. "Holy fuck I was shaking his hand, the man who…" He couldn't bring himself to continue. Quickly he turned his head away from her.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi. I couldn't stop him. He… was your friend and he wasn't himself when he did it. But could have believed me? Raido was one of your closest friends. But I couldn't stand to see him again. I had to leave." 

"All this time." Kakashi whispered, almost to himself.

"Please, Kakashi…" Sakura lifted her head to try and grasp at him but couldn't manage to lift her arm. Suddenly her body was lifted up and clenched in a death grip against his chest. Her eyes widened as her body pressed deep into his. She held back a groan of pain.

Her heart stopped when she felt his chest heave suddenly. He was crying, she soon realized.

"Kakashi?" She whispered cautiously.

"All this time." He began. "You've...you've been suffering all this time." His hand grabbed her head and pressed it into the curve of his neck. "I'm so sorry." By this time Sakura was sobbing again and she felt her body go weak against the power of his protective arms. 

She hadn't been expecting this sort of response. She expected him to shove her away because he couldn't stand to look at her anymore. She expected him to yell at her, blame her for what happened. She should have been stronger, she should have been able to stop him. She was a fucking ninja yet she couldn't do anything. She was useless. She had long begun to believe in her guilt, blame herself for her own stupidity. 

But she received a response that had literally knocked the wind out of her. He had embraced her. He had drawn her into his arms and apologized for what she had been through. He actually apologized to her.

"Raido's dead." Kakashi replied after a moment. "He died nearly a year ago."

Sakura couldn't help but feel happy at this news. Even if he was Kakashi's comrade and close friend, she was glad to know that he was dead, that he wasn't using any more air for himself. That he was no longer breathing.

"I went to his funeral and mourned his death with all of konoha." He sounded disgusted but Sakura knew it was directed at himself. He was terribly angry at himself for not knowing. She knew he wanted to bring Raido back to life so that he could kill him himself. 

"But, he's dead. And know one knows about any of this. I want to you to come home with me." Kakashi had composed himself, and know he was thinking only about what could be done to insure that they both survived this.

Sakura felt a smile grow on her face, but suddenly broke out into a coughing fit.

A loud bang and the earthquake that followed soon after startled Kakashi into ending their embrace. He tilted his gaze toward the door as it burst open. Sakura's weak eyes lifted to see who it was, dreading the idea that Nabu was ready for another round. But it was not Nabu standing in the doorway, but a short man with a sand headband.

"You weren't bluffing when you sand an army was coming, did you Kakashi?" Sakura smiled.

"Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura; please follow me." He ordered, stepping aside so that two other ninja could enter the room and help both Kakashi and Sakura to their feet. 

"Gaara-Sama has ordered that you be brought to the Sand village to awaited Tsuande-Sama's arrival." The short man replied and they exited down into the corridor.

"Gaara?" Sakura whispered, thinking of how long it had been since she last saw her old friend.

The short ninja quickly ducked and slammed his fist into the chin of an attacking ninja, knocking him unconscious. "He gave strict orders that you and Kakashi be transported to his home as soon as possible and out of dangerous way."

Kakashi frowned at the familiarity of the short man voice but didn't pursue it any further.

They received no further attacks during their escape, which was quite odd, but as they walked out onto freedom that didn't matter. A literal army met them. Countless ninja's from so many different countries held prisoner the banished ninja who hadn't managed to escape. They killed them one by one, but Sakura and Kakashi couldn't bring themselves to look.

They were brought over to the medical tent and lay on the beds as their wounds were healed. When it was determined they were well enough for travel, they were loaded up into the car and started on the road to the village hidden in the sand. Back, of course, by their own personal army of ninja who followed outside the car.

The short ninja who had first saved them, rode with them inside the car. His mask still in place, and his identify still a mystery. He sat across from Sakura and Kakashi, and crossed his legs with certain happiness.

"Sorry," Sakura glanced up at Kakashi before turning back to the man across from her. "But, do I know you? It's just that, you look so familiar."

The man only chuckled. "I'm wearing a mask." He replied.

"Yeah, but, you're voice.."

"Okay okay!" He held up his hands in mock retreat. "You caught me Sakura-Chan!" He reached up and slipped his mask down under his chin, revealing the man by the name of..

"Mesi?!" Sakura cried in shock, nearly leaping off the seat in the process. 

He laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Forgive me for lying to you my friend, but I was under strict orders to keep my identity a secret from you."

Sakura slowly processed the information that was thrusted into her lap. "You're a ninja from Sand?"

"I'm afraid so. I was ordered to watch over you by Gaara-Sama shortly after you left Konoha. But my job was replaced when Kakashi-san so I was forced to the background once again." He put on a fake frown and started to pout.

"Gaara sent you?" Kakashi asked from his seat right next to the pink haired woman. Mesi eagerly nodded.

"I'd imagine that he was worried about you." He suggested as an afterthought but to Sakura it made her heart warm with happiness. She smiled and tilted her head down onto Kakashi's solid shoulder. The copy ninja wrapped his arm around her shoulder and urged her to fall asleep. Knowing that she was exhausted, and that he wasn't any different.

"Thank you, Mesi." Kakashi replied.

"No problem." He smiled and Kakashi let his eyes drift shut.

When Kakashi woke up, he was in a large bed, in a larger room with white walls and wide open windows. His body ached but he still forced himself up. The view from outside was endless fields of sand and he knew that he was in Gaara's home like Mesi had said. He pushed himself off the bed, realizing that he dressed in a fresh pair of boxers and t-shirt. 

The halls were filled with people who smile at him and stepped out of his way. One directed him to Sakura's room and he immediately headed that way.

Pushing open her door, he saw her sleeping form on the large bed and took a seat right next to her legs. His hand reached forward to gently tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

She stirred and moaned in her sleep, letting her eyes part to take in his presence. She smiled and pushed herself up. Kakashi slipped his hand into her nightgown, pulling it back to take a look at her wound only to have it completely healed. Satisfied with his finding, he allowed her to draw him into a tight hug.

He had missed this. He missed the way she hugged him. He wanted things to be right again so badly that he was willing to put everything aside just to make it so. He slipped his arms around her shoulders and drew her tighter against him.

"Sakura." He whispered into her ear.

"Yes."

"Will you marry me?"

THE END


End file.
